SUDAN: Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels and the UIgandan government sign agreement to cease all attacks and hostile propaganda

There were hopes on Saturday (August 26) one of Africa's longest running wars could soon be over. Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels agreed to leave their hideouts and assemble at two south Sudanese camps in a major breakthrough. Under a deal with Uganda's government that commits both sides to cease all attacks and hostile propaganda, LRA fighters now have three weeks to gather at the two locations while talks continue to end their two-decade insurgency. The deal is due to take effect at 0600 GMT on August 29. After that, LRA rebels based in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and northern Uganda will move to the assembly points where they will be monitored by southern Sudanese forces. Guerrillas in Congo agreed to gather at Ri-Kwangba, close to Sudan's western border with DRC, while those in Uganda will travel to Owiny-ki-Bul, east of the Nile near Sudan's border with Uganda, according to a copy of the deal seen by Reuters. Once the deal takes effect, it said, Uganda's military would guarantee the LRA in Uganda safe passage across the border. "At last success has been achieved, the first success has been achieved, with signing of an agreement on cessation of hostilities, so we believe that we would like to give Ugandans a gift this year of peace, so that Ugandans begin to look forward for a time of peace for the whole country, for the north, for the east, for the central and for the west of the country," said LRA spokesman Obonyo Olweny. Uganda's government had earlier said it would only sign a truce as part of a comprehensive peace agreement, accusing the rebels of using previous deals to regroup, recruit and re-arm. If the rebels -- including Kony and his deputies -- make it to the assembly points within the three week deadline, that would go a long way to soothing those fears. Talks began on July 14 in south Sudan's capital Juba aimed at brokering an end to the rebels' brutal insurrection, which has killed tens of thousands, uprooted nearly 2 million people in northern Uganda alone and destabilised southern Sudan. Kampala has offered amnesty to the LRA's leaders, who are wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and have not joined the talks, remaining at their jungle base in Congo. The LRA entered DRC last year from hideouts in south Sudan. A week ago, Museveni said Congo's leaders had agreed to let Ugandan forces attack the rebels there if the talks fail. The LRA's agreement on Saturday (August 26) was seen as a major step forward in the talks, which had been hindered by the absence of Kony and other top rebels wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity by international prosecutors in The Hague. The LRA is notorious for targeting civilians, mutilating survivors -- often by cutting off their lips or ears -- and for kidnapping thousands of children to serve the cult-like movement as fighters, porters or sex slaves.

ITN Source | August 27, 2006

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