Ugandan chief peace broker Betty Bigombe and a top Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebel team have met again to discuss details of the draft peace terms to pave way for the signing of the peace pact to end the 18-year northern war.

The meeting took place on Monday in Iroko, approximately eight km north of Palaro in the northern district of Gulu, according to a local report on Wednesday.

The rebel team of senior LRA commanders was led by LRA spokesman Brig. Sam Kolo.

Bigombe met LRA rebel commanders last week.

This is the third meeting since the scheduled signing of the cessation of hostilities between the Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF) and the LRA flopped on December 31, 2004.

Bigombe said that "the meeting which was conducted in a cordialatmosphere, was convened to discuss details of the memorandum of understanding."

"This is another step forward in the search for peace," she added.

Minister of Internal Affairs Ruhakana Rugunda, who is also the leader of the government peace team, described the latest meeting as a "confidence building" meeting, saying that "this is part of the on-going peace process in consultation with the LRA, with a view to reaching a final text of the memorandum of understanding to be agreed on by both parties."

"It is part of confidence building the peace process is on track," he added.

Bigombe delivered an improved memorandum of understanding to the LRA on January 4 following the rebels refused to sign the draft ceasefire agreement on December 31, 2004.

She met the rebels again on January 10 and has also been in telephone contact with the rebels.

The LRA rebels, based in southern Sudan, have been fighting an 18-year-old war to topple the government. During the period, they have killed tens of thousands of civilians, abducted over 20,000 children and displaced at least 1.6 million people.

Source: Xinhua