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| Africa Subsaharan |
| LRA-Ugandan Gov't Talks suspended |
| 2008-06-08 |
| The Government of South Sudan (GoSS) has suspended its mediation of the peace process between rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army and the Ugandan authorities, a day after attacks by the rebels on an SPLA [Sudan People's Liberation Army] base. The attack came on Thursday as President Museveni was delivering his State of the Nation Address before Parliament in which he too declared the peace process over. The attack claimed the life of a major and 21 of his troops. “It would be unreasonable for the Government of South Sudan to continue [with the mediation],” said Mr Gabriel Changson Cheng, the GoSS information minister. Mr Cheng, who spoke to Radio France International (RFI), said the decision to withdraw his government’s mediation was brought about by several other factors including the attack itself. “[The LRA] are the ones abrogating the peace process,” he said, adding that the other party to the talks, the Uganda government, was equally disinterested. Sources familiar with goings-on in South Sudan tell Sunday Monitor the LRA attack was led by Commander Smart Ojara, who holds the rebel rank of lieutenant colonel, and was aimed at raiding the SPLA detach for food and weapons. New LRA spokesman Justin Okello, however, told RFI the rebels had instead been attacked by a joint Ugandan/SPLA force. The nearly two-year peace process has unravelled fast in the past two months. Mr Joseph Kony, the LRA leader, was a no-show on April 10 for the signing of a final peace deal at Nabanga. And a spate of abductions in his reported locations between the forests in eastern DR Congo and Central African Republic suggest he is rebuilding his forces. The heads of the militaries of Uganda, DR Congo and GoSS on Wednesday said they plan to launch a joint offensive alongside the UN’s Monuc forces in DR Congo on the LRA. The LRA fighters say they will defend themselves in what amounts now to a resumption of hostilities even if the peace process is yet to be officially called off. |
| Posted by:Pappy |