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| Africa Subsaharan |
| Ugandan Rebel Leader Talks With Mediator |
| 2006-08-01 |
| ON THE CONGO-SUDAN BORDER (AP) - The elusive leader of a brutal 19-year northern Uganda rebellion held his first formal meeting with a chief peace mediator and an Ugandan government negotiator Tuesday. Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord's Resistance Army, warmly shook hands with Riek Machar, who is vice president of the autonomous government of Southern Sudan and chief mediator of the northern Uganda peace talks. After exchanging pleasantries, Kony, Machar and an Ugandan government official went into a private meeting under a tent. Kony, who has made rare public appearances in the past, was dressed in a neatly pressed cream short-sleeved shirt, matching trousers and polished black shoes. A day earlier during a meeting with leaders from northern and eastern Uganda, he wore a crisp military uniform. On Monday, Kony met with a delegation of 160 officials and lawmakers from northern and eastern Uganda and representatives of non-governmental organizations for about three hours. He allowed photographers to take pictures of him but did not speak to journalists. He appeared friendly with members of the delegation, slapping some of them on the back and laughing with them. The meetings took place in a makeshift rebel camp set up for the peace talks about 2 miles inside the Congolese border. The camp was decorated in palm leaves as a sign of peace. Journalists were taken there, but were not told exactly where they were. "For meaningful talks to continue there must be a cessation of hostilities," the rebels said in a statement after Monday's talks. Kony has yet to meet with the main Ugandan government delegation, led by Interior Affairs Minister Ruhakana Rugunda. The Lord's Resistance Army is made up of the remnants of a rebellion that began after Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni took power in 1986. Its political agenda is unclear. It has set up rear bases in Sudan and Congo, and has been accused of attacking civilians and threatening stability in those countries. It is known for abducting thousands of children, forcing them to become fighters, servants or concubines. Thousands of civilians have died in the conflict and more than 1 million have been forced to flee their homes. Kony is under indictment by the International Criminal Court, but Museveni has offered to protect him if the Lord's Resistance Army agrees to give up its weapons. The rebels, however, have demanded that they be incorporated into Uganda's national army. New York-based Human Rights Watch denounced all calls for amnesty, saying international law rejects impunity for "genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and torture." |
| Posted by:Steve |