Planned peace talks halted in Uganda

The military offensive against the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels by the Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF) has halted the planned peace talks between the government and the rebels.

The Rev. Grace Kaiso, the executive secretary of the Uganda Joint Christian Council, which has been liaising with the Kenyan mediator, Prof. Washington Okumu, was quoted Tuesday by the New Vision newspaper as saying that the Acholi Religious Group for possible talks was waiting to be active in the post conflict period.

The Ugandan government earlier this year requested Okumu to mediate its talks with the LRA rebels to end the 18-year war in northern Uganda..

Last month, Okumu told the press that he had started making preliminary contacts with the LRA.

But Kaiso said since the capture of Brig. Kenneth Banya by the UPDF, efforts to reach LRA rebels had proved very difficult for the mediator.

"The environment is not stable for meaningful talks to take place. The process is now on hold," Kaiso said.

Meanwhile, UPDF spokesman based in north Lt. Paddy Ankunda saidthat about 35 LRA rebels including three field commanders defectedto the UPDF at Lacekocot and Corner Kilak in Pader district in northern Uganda on Sunday.

The rebels handed over 20 rifles and 10 abducted people.

On July 28, the UPDF attacked the LRA high command in Dirinyang near Sudan's southern city of Juba, killing 120 rebels. Rebel leader Joseph Kony apparently escaped but his four wives and 13 children were captured.

Recently the Sudan People's Defense Forces declared that Kony would either be killed or arrested this month.

The LRA rebels have killed tens of thousands of civilians, abducted over 20,000 children and displaced over 1.6 million people in northern Uganda in their 18-year rebellion.

Source: Xinhua