IRIN - President Yoweri Museveni on Thursday repeated an offer to negotiate with the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels who are fighting his government in the north, but warned at the same time that military strikes against them would continue. Museveni, speaking on national television, said: "If they [the rebels] indicate through intermediaries that they are willing to talk and assemble in certain areas of southern Sudan, then I will order a ceasefire and give them safe passage. Once assembled, they will be supplied with food, clothing and medical supplies." The proposal follows a similar offer made in April 2002 when Museveni told the rebels they could surrender under amnesty. But this time he made it clear that until they cooperated, military strikes against them would continue. "The day and night operations aimed at wiping out the terrorists will be continued and will be intensified until every terrorist leader has been accounted for or until the remnants of the terrorists come out from their crime-laden way of existence," he said. Religious leaders pushing for dialogue to end the 18-year northern conflict have welcomed the move, warning that the LRA must now respond to the president's offer as a precursor to meaningful dialogue. "It's a good gesture the president has made for which I'd like to thank him. Something positive could come out of it. We hope the rebels find a way of responding to this," the secretary of the Acholi Religious Leaders' Peace Initiative, Bishop Jean-Baptiste Odama, told IRIN.
| I guess it makes more sense to bomb the crap out of them and negotiate than just to negotiate. I'd stick with just bombing the crap out of them, if it was me. |
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