Uganda's top rebels accept amnesty offer

The Lord's Resistance Army commander, Joseph Kony, and his deputy, Vincent Otti, have accepted the amnesty offer promised by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.

Otti, speaking on behalf of Kony quoted by Sunday Vision contradicted the LRA peace delegation that described Museveni's amnesty offer as "redundant".

"Those delegates should stop making comments without consulting the high command," Otti warned.

The warning followed comments by two LRA members of the peace team, Ayena Odongo and Obonyo Olweny that created the impression that the LRA leadership had rejected the amnesty offer.

"The statement of offer of amnesty is redundant and it's not applicable in the situation of negotiations... amnesty presupposes surrender... the amnesty offer doesn't help in finding a solution to the problem of the north," Odongo told the media last week.

Olweny added, "Amnesty presupposes that the other party is defeated. It's beside the point."

"For us we have accepted the amnesty with both hands. I am speaking to you on behalf of Kony," Otti emphasized.

Museveni declared last Tuesday that his government will grant total amnesty to Kony, if he responds positively to peace talks in Juba, southern Sudan and abandons terrorism.

"We shall work through Parliament to amend the Amnesty Law. We shall change it and say okay now Kony has come and we also forgive him," he said in an interview later.

Ugandan government has named an eight-member team that is expected to hold direct talks with the LRA delegates waiting in Juba four weeks ago.

Kony and four of his commanders have been indicted by The Hague based International Criminal Court last October for crimes against humanity including the killing of thousands of civilians and enslaving thousands of children.

The court called on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and Uganda to arrest the five as the Interpol issued Red Notices for them early June.

Kony has led the LRA since 1988 in its brutal insurgency in northern Uganda against Museveni's government, which has left tens of thousands of people killed and over 1.4 million displaced in the conflict.

Source: Xinhua