July 9th, 2006
LRA Wants Power-Sharing
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If he agrees on the positions that we want, then we can share
power, Otti continued, referring to Museveni. If he does not agree, then we can continue talking. But if he rejects our positions completely then we will go backwardthen the battle has begun.
By Milton Allimadi
Part 1 and 2 of these stories can be found in the International section here at Black Star News Online.
An ideal outcome of the impending negotiations next week between the Lord's Resistance Army and the Uganda government would be a power-sharing agreement, says Vincent Otti, the LRA's number two commander, who revealed for the first time some of his groups demands.
In a telephone interview yesterday with The Black Star News Otti told this newspaper that the talks, slated to start Wednesday June 12th in Juba, the capital of Southern Sudan, would likely run through Saturday. If all goes well, the preliminary talks could lead to a ceasefire, paving the way for full scale negotiations where the LRA would then table all its demands, Otti said. Fighting would stop permanently unless the government rejects the LRAs demands outright, in which case war could resume.
Additionally, the LRA wants assurances directly from the government of President Yoweri Museveni and the International Criminal Court (ICC) that its top commanders wouldn't later be arrested and sent to The Hague, after a peace treaty. The LRA also wants the United States, Britain and Canada to serve as observers and witnesses to the negotiations and any deal that arises from the talks, to assure that it doesnt later collapse, Otti said.
That is a matter that will be on the table," Otti added, when asked how the LRA and the Uganda government can conclude a pact considering the outstanding arrest warrants from the ICC for the LRA's top commanders. If the government really wants permanent peace in Uganda then the matter of the ICC should be lifted out officially. We have to hear that from the mouth of Yoweri Museveni and from the mouth of the prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, he added, referring to the Ugandan ruler and the ICC chief prosecutor, respectively. While the Ugandan president has offered amnesty to the LRAs commanders Moreno-Ocampo this week insisted that they should be arrested to stand trial.
The LRAs demands include integrating its fighters into the national army and positionsOtti didnt specify whether in the army or governmentfor its commanders. We can co-exist, Otti added, when asked how the LRA could be integrated into the Ugandan army after bitter war of almost 20 years accompanied by allegations of human rights abuse on both sides. If he agrees on the positions that we want, then we can share power, Otti continued, referring to Museveni. If he does not agree, then we can continue talking. But if he rejects our positions completely then we will go backwardthen the battle has begun.
An ideal outcome of the impending negotiations next week between the Lord's Resistance Army and the Uganda government would be a power-sharing agreement, says Vincent Otti, the LRA's number two commander, who revealed for the first time some of his groups demands.
In a telephone interview yesterday with The Black Star News Otti told this newspaper that the talks, slated to start Wednesday June 12th in Juba, the capital of Southern Sudan, would likely run through Saturday. If all goes well, the preliminary talks could lead to a ceasefire, paving the way for full scale negotiations where the LRA would then table all its demands, Otti said. Fighting would stop permanently unless the government rejects the LRAs demands outright, in which case war could resume.
Additionally, the LRA wants assurances directly from the government of President Yoweri Museveni and the International Criminal Court (ICC) that its top commanders wouldn't later be arrested and sent to The Hague, after a peace treaty. The LRA also wants the United States, Britain and Canada to serve as observers and witnesses to the negotiations and any deal that arises from the talks, to assure that it doesnt later collapse, Otti said.
That is a matter that will be on the table," Otti added, when asked how the LRA and the Uganda government can conclude a pact considering the outstanding arrest warrants from the ICC for the LRA's top commanders. If the government really wants permanent peace in Uganda then the matter of the ICC should be lifted out officially. We have to hear that from the mouth of Yoweri Museveni and from the mouth of the prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, he added, referring to the Ugandan ruler and the ICC chief prosecutor, respectively. While the Ugandan president has offered amnesty to the LRAs commanders Moreno-Ocampo this week insisted that they should be arrested to stand trial.
The LRAs demands include integrating its fighters into the national army and positionsOtti didnt specify whether in the army or governmentfor its commanders. We can co-exist, Otti added, when asked how the LRA could be integrated into the Ugandan army after bitter war of almost 20 years accompanied by allegations of human rights abuse on both sides. If he agrees on the positions that we want, then we can share power, Otti continued, referring to Museveni. If he does not agree, then we can continue talking. But if he rejects our positions completely then we will go backwardthen the battle has begun.
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