The Ugandan government has held closed discussions with donors and asked them for financial support to demobilize and resettle LRA rebels in the event of a peaceful end to the conflict in northern Uganda. "These are our development partners and we brought them up-to-date on what’s happening in Juba and Garamba," the International Affairs minister Okello Oryem said yesterday after the meeting. Oryem said that the donor community was impressed with the way the government has handled the talks so far. Read more at The Monitor.

On Sunday at the Sudan-Congo border, the LRA paraded a group of more than 100 children to Unicef officials. "I am from Gulu [northern Uganda] and have been here for two years. I want to go back home," one 18-year-old girl said, as tears rolled down her scarred face. Among the children were 18 boys aged from eight years, 20 mothers carrying babies aged from two months to two-and-a-half years and more than 60 girls aged 12 and over. "More than 500 boys and girls from various places in northern Uganda and southern Sudan are still in our camps," said Capt. Sunday Ochaya, who is also the coordinator between the LRA and the southern Sudan government. "They will be brought later, [because] they will have to walk for four hours." Read more at the UN's IRIN News.

After waiting a whole day yesterday, negotiators led by Dr. Riek Machar failed to meet LRA leader Joseph Kony. Kony instead sent his son Salim Saleh Kony, 14, to meet the group. Mediators said that the presence of Kony’s son means that the rebel leader is willing to meet the mediators and the peace delegation. Machar said: "They (Kony) are still discussing with the leaders of Northern Uganda, once they are done, they will meet us." Included in the delegation are Unicef officials, whom are asking the LRA to free 40 sick children. Kony's deputy, Vincent Otti has agreed to meet with the officials. Read more at The Monitor.

Human Rights Watch has issued a statement criticizing the Ugandan government for considering amnesty for LRA rebel leadership indicted by the International Criminal Court. HRW writes, "Genuine initiatives aimed at ending the devastating armed conflict in northern Uganda are welcome, but amnesties for war crimes and crimes against humanity must not be on offer." "The LRA Five are accused of widespread sexual slavery, murder, and brutalization of children over two decades," said Richard Dicker, director of Human Rights Watch's International Justice Program. "Amnesty or similar measures can not be on the table when it comes to these kinds of crimes."

Uganda-CAN disagrees with this statement's timing and its priorities. Northern Uganda leaders have expressed full support for President Museveni's offer of amnesty, conveying that longer term issues of justice can be addressed after the cessation of active violence. The war has denied justice, in the broadest sense, to millions of Ugandans by depriving them of such basic rights as security, freedom of movement, cultural expression and livelihood opportunities for the last twenty years. Once those basic rights have been restored, the traditional, religious and political leaders of northern Uganda will help set the agenda for longer term restoration; in Acholi tradition, restorative justice is well respected and can be employed within the context of reintegrating former LRA rebels. The people caught in this war have made their voices clear: peace is the priority and the current historic talks should be engaged in full. Click here to read Uganda-CAN's full analysis of peace talks.

19 of Italy's largest non-governmental relief organizations have signed a letter to Ugandan President Museveni, urging him and the Ugandan government to engage peace talks, secure the return of all IDPs and bring lasting peace to northern Uganda. This is another sign of the growing international attention to Africa's longest running war and one of its most gruesome.

Several Acholi religious and cultural leaders, along with relatives of the rebels, are set to spend Saturday night at LRA leader Joseph Kony's hideout inside DR Congo's Garamba National Park. This development is significant because Kony was expected to meet the delegation at the Sudan-Congo border yesterday but did not show up reportedly because he was down with malaria. His deputy Vincent Otti represented him. Kony reportedly set up several big tents made out of palm leaves to symbolize peace, and plans to meet with the leaders tomorrow. The delegation's trip is meant to build confidence for serious peace talks between the rebels and government to end the 20-year war. Read more at The Monitor.

Uganda-CAN has released its analysis of the ongoing peace talks in Juba, Sudan. The three-page summary provides the context to the talks, giving their history, exploring the interests of the parties involved, and providing a firm agenda for regional and international governments according to which the talks should be engaged.

Historic peace talks between the Government of Uganda and rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) will resume Monday in Juba, South Sudan after a one week hiatus, during which rebel leaders met with family members and community leaders from northern Uganda. The talks are believed by many experts to be the best opportunity in over a decade to end Africa's longest running war.

Click here to read the analysis.

There was drama yesterday on the Sudan-Congo border before a group of LRA rebels drove away with Kony’s four wives and several children to his base in a pick-up truck. At 2:45 PM, the rebels, most of them children in dreadlocks and military uniforms, jumped off the vehicle and surrounded the area. Their leader spoke briefly with Archbishop John Baptist Odama, Acholi cultural leader Rwot Acana II and a few clerics. Two hours later, the Government of South Sudan interior minister cleared Kony's family to travel with the rebels to his base in Garamba Park, DR Congo. Read more at The New Vision.

Dependable government sources said yesterday that Joseph Kony's brother Robert Olanya has refused to go and meet his elder brother if his 20-year old son is not released from jail. Sources said the criminal is being held at Lugazi Police Station for alleged defilement of a girl. For the last three days, Olanya and the girl's family have failed to reach an agreement, in effect stalling Kony’s much-awaited family reunion. By press time, Kony’s mother had not arrived at the Sudan-DR Congo border. At 2 PM yesterday when the first convoy of Kony relatives, journalists, UN and Southern Sudan government officials arrived at the Sudan-DR Congo border, Vincent Otti, Kony’s deputy telephoned one of the peace mediators and demanded that the entire entourage of Kony’s relatives be taken directly to him at Garamba National Park. Read more at The Monitor.

In response to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's report to the Security Council on the crisis in northern Uganda, the Government of Uganda has written a strong letter. The letter urges that an appointed UN envoy should help to coordinate a regional military response to LRA attacks. The letter calls for the UN to be a "real partner," not an "observer" in addressing this crisis and arresting LRA leadership. Finally, the letter condemns the report's claim that the Ugandan military has been involved in human rights abuses against the civilian population. The Security Council is set to discuss the Secretary-General's report and recommendations tomorrow.

LRA top leader Joseph Kony has ordered the Uganda delegation not to include UPDF officers on the team that is traveling to meet him at the Sudan-DR Congo border. Kony said LRA would not accept UPDF officers on the Uganda government team because there is no ceasefire between the two armies. The delegation made up of LRA relatives and northern leaders is en route to meet the LRA high command. Read more at The Monitor.

An opportunity is being offered to over 1,000 ordinary Ugandans to meet the LRA rebel leader Joseph Kony in Garamba National Park in the DR Congo. Gulu LC5 Chairman Nobert Mao told the press that the request for a meeting came from Kony himself. "They want the community to be part of their decision to get out of the bush," Mao said. In other news, the press has established that Prof. Dani Nabudere, the head of the Africa Study Centre in Mbale, has been asked by the LRA to join the mediation. Read more at The Monitor.

Human rights and humanitarian organizations operating in Uganda are increasingly calling for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to defer its prosecutions to allow for current peace negotiations to succeed. In a joint statement released this week, Kampala-based Refugee Law Project and Gulu-based Human Rights Focus -- two of the most prominent human rights groups in Uganda -- called for a deferral of ICC prosecutions in the interest of long term justice.

"After twenty years of conflict, northern Uganda has an opportunity to work towards a non-violent resolution, an outcome which would allow displaced communities to finally go home and workable accountability options to be brought into focus. In the interests of victims and in the interests of justice, therefore, we urge the ICC and others concerned about northern Uganda and the neighbouring regions to give peace a chance." Read the statement, which can be found at Refugee Law Project's website.

According to further recent articles, the Gulu NGO Forum's 72 organizations as well as Gulu District leader Norbert Mao support amnesty for rebel leaders if a peace agreement is reached. The Sudanese ambassador to Uganda, Hassan Gadkarim, yesterday also called for the ICC to "stay the warrant of arrest" against LRA leaders, though the meaning of the statement is unclear; the southern Sudanese government has called for warrants to be deferred, while the Khartoum government in northern Sudan has called for arrest of LRA leaders.

Sources present at the Juba talks have said that ICC warrants for the top five LRA leaders are the primary concern preventing the rebel leaders from giving up arms and returning to their home communities.

Talks between the government of Uganda and the LRA rebels are not about sharing power, President Museveni said yesterday. The President explained that the talks are intended to provide the rebels with a soft landing where they can be settled in their villages. Meanwhile, a delegation of 27 relatives of top LRA commanders including Kony arrived in the Sudanese city of Juba to prepare for a major meeting later this week with the LRA top command in DR Congo. Read more at The Monitor.

Next Monday, peace talks between the government and LRA delegations will reconvene, after being adjourned last week by Dr. Riek Machar. "We have made substantial progress," Machar said. Machar said the delegations had discussed three out of the five items on the agenda. They are cessation of hostilities, comprehensive solutions to the problems (that led to the rebellion) and reconciliation and accountability. Machar said on return the delegations would tackle the ceasefire issue and demobilization and integration (of the LRA). Read more at The New Vision.

Suspicion that some of the LRA negotiators are scheming to scuttle the ongoing Juba peace talks is gaining currency with the Ugandan government. The LRA's external wing, comprised mainly of rebel supporters based in Britain and the United States, has insisted that Kampala meets nine conditions before any serious discussions are held. This prompted Uganda's Minister for International Affairs, Okello Oryem, to declare in frustration last week, "If we were dealing with Kony’s real demands, we would have signed an agreement by now and been out of this place." The government side says the demands coming from LRA chief Joseph Kony and his high command are realistic and easier to discuss, unlike those coming from his peace team in Juba.

A senior government official involved in the talks said that the rebel leader simply wants an assurance by the government, Acholi cultural leaders and religious leaders that he will be accepted and integrated back into the community; his name from the list of those branded as terrorists; that the north will be given an equal opportunity in the distribution of resources with the rest of the country, and that a development plan for the north will be announced by government. This has prompted the government to set up parallel channels of communication with Kony. A senior government official in the President’s Office said, "There are everyday contacts with Kony and we are moving on." Read more at The East African.

LRA top leader Joseph Kony’s mother, Nora Oting, sets off today to meet her son, whom she has not seen in 15 years. Their rendezvous has led to a recess in the on-going peace talks between the LRA and the government in Juba. Kony and his deputy, Vincent Otti, had called Machar and requested for specific people to meet for consultations. The group includes Kony's mother, about 20 relatives, and civic and religious leaders. Read more at The Monitor.

Uganda and Sudan have agreed to investigate alleged gross human rights abuses by Ugandan soldiers in southern Sudan. "Brigadier Mamur of the SPLA and Col. Leopold Kyanda have embarked on a joint investigation into the reports of abuses by our forces and whoever will be found in [the] wrong will face justice," spokesman Capt. Paddy Ankunda said yesterday. The investigation would be the first response to allegations by southern Sudanese communities that UPDF soldiers engaged in improper acts in Sudan. Read more at The Monitor.

The government delegation and Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) negotiating team in Juba put aside their acrimony as they dined and wined at a party on Saturday evening hosted by Dr. Riek Machar. Read more at The New Vision.

LRA top leader Joseph Kony has requested to speak directly to President Museveni, government sources say. Only after the planned visits to Kony by his mother and Acholi leaders have gone successfully will the government consider his request for a chat with Museveni. Government sources say that Museveni, who has offered full amnesty to Kony and his fighters, is prepared to protect him and his top commanders from the ICC warrants by approaching the Peace and Security Council of the African Union. Military sources say that the UPDF is "impatient with the President" and has been preparing for a "final assault" on the rebels in their Garamba base should the talks fail. Read more at The Monitor.

The LRA deputy leader, Vincent Otti, called the Gulu district chairman, Norbert Mao and demanded that leaders from Acholi, Teso, Lango and West Nile regions meet him at Garamba National Park in Congo. Otti called Mao yesterday morning and talked for about 30 minutes. Mao said they would hire three buses to ferry over 150 leaders and one Fuso lorry to carry food and non-food items to Garamba to meet Kony and his commanders as a way of confidence-building. Mao said the leaders shall comprise cultural leaders, elders, MPs and other leaders from northern Uganda. Read more at The New Vision.

At a press conference yesterday, the LRA spokesman remarked, "We are constrained to comment that the GoU Delegation includes a Colonel who one time went to Gulu Government prison cells at night with armored vehicles, forcefully removed out some 23 detainees suspected of being rebel collaborators and shot one of them called Yumbe Lukac dead." This allegation is apparently in response to claims by the Ugandan delegation two days ago that the LRA delegation included a man responsible for hacking civilians in Pader district and boiling their bodies in cooking pots in 2002. The government responded yesterday by saying it feels the rebels are unserious about peace talks.

Meanwhile, the South African government has said it is ready to give the peace talks a shot in the arm if the parties asked. "If asked by Uganda or Southern Sudan leaders or anybody to participate, we would be available to do that," South African Minister of Security and Safety Charles Nqakula told journalists on Wednesday. Read more at The Monitor.

Uganda has complained to DR Congo over the continued presence of LRA rebels on Congo soil Uganda raised concern about Congo’s lack of commitment to engaging the LRA in Garamba National Park. The issue was key on the agenda in the two-day bilateral security meeting that ended in Kampala on Thursday. Read more at The New Vision.

Elders from southern Sudan and northern Uganda on Thursday presented a statement at peace talks, alleging atrocities committed by the LRA rebels and the Ugandan army. Urging the Ugandan government and the rebels to peacefully resolve their 20-year conflict, the elders said the two warring parties should leave southern Sudan if they cannot agree a ceasefire. "The war continues to cause a lot of suffering in southern Sudan, including abduction of children, raping of women and looting of properties, as far as forcing people to eat human flesh," according to the statement. Read more at the UN's IRIN News.

President Museveni has said Uganda will remain peaceful whether or not the Juba talks between the government and the LRA succeed. "Even if the talks fail, peace will remain because the army is stronger than ever and can handle anyone who tries to cause trouble," Museveni said. Read more at The New Vision. Uganda-CAN welcomes the President's declaration of peace, but believes strongly that peace has not returned to Uganda until the 1.7 million displaced northerners have returned to their homes with security. We applaud the government's continued engagement of peace talks, and encourage all parties to remember that the ultimate stakeholders of this process are northern Ugandans themselves who yearn for peace.

The Ugandan government said on Thursday that it will organize a trip next week for relatives of LRA rebels, including leader Joseph Kony's mother, to visit their kin at a jungle hideout. The government said it has agreed to a rebel request to arrange the meeting. "This is a confidence-building measure," delegation spokesman Paddy Ankuda said. Ankunda said the delegation will comprise about 40 people, including the rebels' families, religious leaders from northern Uganda and traditional elders. Dr. Riek Machar will lead the trip. Kony's mother lives in Kampala alongside a dozen other relatives, including the rebel leader's brother, under the care of President Yoweri Museveni. Read more at The Mail and Guardian.

The Government has set up a peace talks support committee chaired by defense state minister Ruth Nankabirwa, to back up the government negotiating team in Juba. The committee will be tasked with receiving and analyzing information on the talks, gathering intelligence and updating the government team. Nankabirwa said the committee would also update the media, Cabinet, Parliament, and foreign missions on the progress of the talks. Nankabirwa, who reiterated the Government’s commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict, dismissed reports in the press that its chief negotiator, Ruhakana Rugunda stormed out of the talks earlier this week. Read more at The New Vision.

In a meeting yesterday between the LRA, Acholi clergy and traditional chiefs from both northern Uganda and Sudan, Lolubo elders of Sudan attacked the ethnic Acholi of Sudan over atrocities committed by LRA rebels in southern Sudan. This highlights the critical need for local and regional reconciliation. At the same meeting, the Southern Sudan elders released a document, which slammed bother the UPDF and the LRA for committing atrocities in southern Sudan. The four-page document alleges that the LRA have killed more than 3,000 people in Sudan alone over the last five years. Read more at The Monitor.

Today, U.S. President George W. Bush welcomed Salva Kiir, president of the government of Southern Sudan to the White House. The press release from the White House says that the two men discussed many topics, but has not mention of the ongoing peace talks in Juba between the Ugandan government and LRA to end Africa's longest running war. This is an abomination. Over recent weeks, the Bush Administration and State Department have waffled U.S. position on the talks, missing opportunities to support an end to the war. Uganda-CAN urges U.S. support for these historic talks, which many believe are the best opportunity in over a decade to end the 20-year war. High-level U.S. engagement can hold actors accountable to the peace process and provide a peace dividend to help with implementation of any agreement. History will recall where we stood when we had the occasion to help end one of the world's worst wars.

The Ugandan government has started implementing a six-month emergency plan to resettle thousands of people in the eastern region displaced by the 20-year old northern war. "The emergency plan spans six months and is intended to help returnees rebuild their lives and have infrastructure restored, such as roads, schools and health centres," Musa Ecweru, the Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, said. However, the minister said, it does not apply to IDPs in Acholi subregion – the epicentre of the rebellion – where the government is reducing large camps by moving civilians to smaller settlements. Read more at Reuters AlertNet.

France has hailed the initiative taken by the Uganda government towards ending the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebellion, establishing just and lasting peace and helping the internally displaced people (IDPs) return home. Ambassador Bernard Garancher said in spite of the death of John Garang, Uganda’s interaction with the new government of Southern Sudan was about to lead to a solution, which has been elusive for many years. Read more at The New Vision.

The government is maintaining contact with the high command of the rebel LRA even as peace talks between the LRA delegation and government negotiators continue in Juba. The Juba talks, sources say, run the risk of ending prematurely if the LRA maintains a "confrontational" approach to the negotiations. "The group in Juba are not the real decision makers. Real progress depends on Joseph Kony's personal involvement," the source said. Vincent Otti, Kony's number two has been in touch with senior government officials who are reportedly arranging for a team of Acholi elders to meet him in Sudan. The parallel talks are aimed mainly at a full package deal for Kony and his army while Acholi leaders would be tasked to create a mechanism for accepting the fighters back home. Read more at The Monitor.

Ugandan government negotiators have stormed out of peace talks in Sudan. The LRA had insisted a ceasefire should be the first item discussed, but the government has rejected the ceasefire, arguing the rest of the agenda must be dealt with first. The head of Uganda's delegation, Internal Affairs Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, told reporters that the LRA have used past ceasefires to recruit, reorganise, treat their sick and loot food. Despite the walkout on Tuesday night, talks are expected to resume shortly. Read more at the BBC News.

The Africa Faith and Justice Network, Uganda-CAN's parent organization, has launched "Northern Uganda Faith and Action Kits" to help churches throughout the United States work through prayer and political action to end the war in northern Uganda. Download a kit today at AFJN.org!

Negotiations for a possible ceasefire got underway in Juba with the LRA representatives asking the government to declare safe corridors in Gulu and Kitgum to allow free movement of their fighters. The LRA delegation asked for two weeks to use these corridors to explain the terms of the ceasefire to LRA soldiers inside Uganda. The rebels say the ceasefire shall remain for the whole duration of the negotiations. However, government spokesman Robert Kabushenga told the press yesterday: "The position of the government is that there is no ceasefire. We should go for dialogue and then peace." Other issues set to be discussed in peace talks include comprehensive solutions (participating in national politics and institutions), reconstruction of war affected zones), reconciliation, accountability and demobilization of armed groups. Read more at The Monitor.

Gladys N Oroma, Uganda-CAN news correspondent in northern Uganda, reports that a fresh fire outbreak has destroyed up to 300 huts in Anaka internally-displaced persons camp in Gulu district. According to eyewitnesses, the fire lasted for two days, leaving 1500 people homeless. Fire outbreaks are quite common in these displacement camps, where huts are packed so closely together. The camp residents are calling on the government to respond to this disaster and provide them with basic items for their survival.

The All Africa Conference of Churches has said that peace talks in Juba provide the best opportunity to end the war in northern Uganda. They called on the International Criminal Court to not derail these important talks. "For both the Ugandan government and LRA leadership to agree to hold peace talks is something that all peace-loving people should support," an AACC statement said last Friday. Read more at the Catholic Information Service for Africa.

UPDF officers yesterday scoffed at accusations against the military and demanded a retraction of the LRA statement. Army Spokesman, Maj. Felix Kulayigye, said the government had formally demanded a withdrawal of the statement. "Everybody knows the amount of criminality espoused by the LRA. They have abducted, mutilated and have cooked people in pots. They have committed horrendous crimes. These accusations are intended to sabotage the talks." Read more at The Monitor.

Government representatives and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) delegation were to discuss on Tuesday a possible ceasefire as part of efforts to end one of Africa's longest wars. Local mediators in southern Sudan have chosen five topics from broad "position papers" submitted by both camps during the first day of face-to-face meetings on Sunday. "Tomorrow evening the two sides will discuss the first topic, cessation of hostilities," Dr. Riek Machar told reporters late on Monday. He did not name the four other topics. Read more at Reuters AlertNet.

After 20 years of fighting, the Lord’s Resistance Army leader says he is finally ready to disarm his troops and bring an end to the war. While official talks continue in Juba, Joseph Kony is making arrangements to hold parallel talks with a group of Acholi elders somewhere inside southern Sudan. The LRA’s number two, Vincent Otti made this revelation through the Gulu Resident District Commisioner, Col. Walter Ochora yesterday. "There has been enough fighting for 20 years. The time for fighting is over; it is now time to talk," Ochora said quoting Otti directly. Ochora said the rebel boss has indicated that the LRA would disarm after assembling in Southern Sudan. "We have talked about using Mega FM in Gulu which the rebels listen to a lot to reach these fighters...Joseph Kony himself will be given an opportunity to address the fighters directly through the radio," Ochora further revealed. Read more at The Monitor.

In Juba, peace talks continued today with the LRA delegation demanding that the Uganda People's Defense Forces be disbanded for being a partisan army and composed of one ethnic group. In its position paper, the LRA wrote, "We demand comprehensive compensation for all the losses suffered as a result of civil strife and or state instigated schemes." The rebel position paper also calls for an international commission to foster northern development, dismantling of IDP camps and an end to government corruption. Read more at The Monitor.

The Monitor has printed the position papers of the Ugandan government and LRA delegations as presented to the mediating Government of South Sudan. Read the papers at The Monitor.

Despite a fraught start to peace talks, the president of mediator southern Sudan, Salva Kiir, said on Monday that he expects a deal to end the conflict will be struck by September. Kiir said on Monday both sides had pledged to negotiate "in good faith." Read more at The Sudan Tribune.

At the third day of peace talks, the Ugandan government delegation handed conditions and offers to LRA leader Joseph Kony to pave the way for the roadmap to peace in northern Uganda. Among the conditions is for the LRA to abandon all forms of terrorism and cease all forms of hostilities; the LRA to dissolve itself and hand over all arms and ammunitions and the LRA to assemble in an agreed location where they will be demobilized, disarmed and documented. The offers include: amnesty to all combatants; all former combatants to be integrated with civilians in active productive life and that those who wish and qualify to be integrated into the UPDF. Southern Sudan Vice President Riek Machar said they will go through the position papers and inform the two parties when the next meeting would be convened. Read more at The Monitor.

The Defense Minister, Dr. Crispus Kiyonga has apologized to the people of Teso, Acholi and Lango districts for the government’s failure to protect its citizens that led to the deaths of thousands of people at the hands of LRA. He said the people killed in the northern region was a result of government’s failure to provide security and protect its people from the enemy. Read more at The Monitor.

The LRA has requested the Ugandan government to provide food, tents, chairs and tables as part of the facilitation for the ongoing peace talks. The items are to be sent to the rebel leader, Joseph Kony’s base in Garamba, DR Congo. Sources close to the LRA said the provisions — particularly food — are meant to prevent the LRA from resorting to raiding and looting, as they await the outcome of the talks. The chairs, tents and tables are to enable the Kony to hold consultative meetings with opinion and cultural leaders from northern Uganda in the coming weeks. Read more at The New Vision.

The New Vision has printed the opening speech of LRA delegation leader, Martin Ojul, in which he criticizes the Ugandan government for political persecution and injustices against the people of northern Uganda. Read the full text at The New Vision. The government has responded to the speech with points, which can be read in The Monitor.

Mediators at peace talks in Juba have been trying to calm tensions. The government side has been angered by what it regards as belligerent remarks by LRA rebels at the opening ceremony on Friday night. LRA delegates warned that the Ugandan government would be in for a shock if it thought the rebels were about to surrender. "Our acceptance of these peace talks should not be interpreted to mean that the LRA can no longer fight or that we are now military weak. No. We are not," said LRA spokesman Obonyo Olweny. Read more at BBC News.

The President of Southern Sudan Salva Kiir, has said the LRA delegates cannot be abducted from Juba. Kiir told an impromptu press conference at Juba international airport that his government's impetus is to end rebellion in northern Uganda and usher in peace. "We have started to talk to the LRA directly. We aim at bringing a solution to the conflict in northern Uganda," Kiir said. Read more at The New Vision.

Civil Society Organizations for Peace in Northern Uganda (CSOPNU) has called upon the government to immediately declare an unconditional ceasefire covering all areas of northern Uganda and southern Sudan to allow for uninterrupted dialogue. "This requires all parties to exercise flexibility, restraint and patience in pursuit of a durable solution to the conflict. We also urge other stakeholders, especially the international community, to support the Government of Uganda in the long-awaited peace efforts,” the statement said. CSOPNU urged the Government to ensure that a clear and consistent position on the peace process is maintained. Read more at The New Vision.

Uganda’s government and LRA rebels formally opened talks to end the 20-year war in the north of the country Friday, with both sides saying the negotiations mark the best chance yet to end the brutal conflict. The government intends to negotiate in good faith and is confident that peace will finally be restored in the region, Uganda’s Internal Affairs Minister Ruhakana Rugunda said at the opening ceremony. The LRA rebels called for the government to be held accountable for atrocities its troops were accused of committing during the conflict that has forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes, rebel spokesman Obonyo Olweny said at the opening ceremony. While talks were formally opened today, substantive negotiations weren’t expected to begin until tomorrow. Read more at The Sudan Tribune.

The Lord's Resistance Army delegation in Juba has said a ceasefire will be the first thing on the agenda as peace talks begin today in Juba. Talks will begin this afternoon at 4 PM. "We're willing to end the war," LRA spokesman Obonyo Olweny told the BBC's Network Africa programme. About top leadership's decline to attend the talks, Olweny said, "[President] Museveni's not going to the start of talks, so why should Kony come to Juba? The delegation will lay out the terms of the coming of Joseph Kony to sign the agreement." Read more at BBC News.

Southern Sudanese Vice-President Riek Machar has announced that peace talks between the LRA rebels and the Ugandan government will start on Friday. However, he added that no agenda for the peace talks had been set. "We have a secretariat. We will let them decide whether to enter into direct talks or negotiate through mediators," he told reporters. Read more at the UN's IRIN News.

A Ugandan delegation to delayed peace talks with the LRA rebels will finally leave for southern Sudan on Friday, the government said. South Sudan's Vice President Riek Machar, who has spearheaded mediation to halt the civil war in northern Uganda, is optimistic. "The talks are going to take place," Machar said. Read more at Reuters AlertNet.

A Ugandan delegation on its way to Sudan for talks with Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels will prove its commitment to peace by meeting whoever the insurgents send, the government said on Thursday. "Our delegation will travel to Juba and meet whoever is there, if that is what it takes to show the world we are serious about peace," the Ugandan government spokesman said. Read more at Reuters AlertNet.

The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) 17-man delegation has arrived in Juba and will await word from the government delegation for the start of talks."The new position, as far as I know, of the government of Uganda is that they will negotiate with the LRA delegation unconditionally," Dr. Riek Machar told journalists at Juba International Airport. Read more at the BBC News.

On 3 July, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan finally sent to the Security Council his report pursuant to Resolutions 1653 (2006) and 1663 (2006). Though slim on concrete recommendations, the report does provide a comprehensive understanding of the conflict and a framework for international action. The Secretary-General notes that lasting peace in northern Uganda will require addressing both LRA violence and the exclusion of northerners from national political and economic processes. The Secretary-General encourages the Council to consider both a Special Envoy and Panel of Experts to support peace in the region. However, he argues that the regional governments have the capacity and responsibility to address this crisis and protect civilians. Uganda-CAN urges the Security Council to act on these recommendations to bolster civilian protection, improve the humanitarian situation and support political processes to end the conflict.

The Uganda government says it still expects to hold talks with the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels in South Sudan, even after LRA top leaders Joseph Kony and Vincent Otti declined to attend negotiations. "We would like to meet authentic, authoritative and decisive leader of the rebel group so that we can reach conclusions to the discussions," Interior Minister Ruhakana Rugunda told the BBC's Network Africa programme yesterday. Read more at BBC News.

Acholi paramount chief Rwot Acana Onen is in Juba for talks between the LRA rebels and the Government. Acana, leading six Acholi elders, said he had a message of hope and reconciliation from the Acholi people. "We are here with a message of forgiveness, all people of goodwill in Acholi have appealed that this time round peace should be given chance," he said. Sources say that members of the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative, including Anglican Bishop Nelson Onono-Onweng and Catholic Archbishop John Baptist Odama, have been invited to observe the talks. Read more at The New Vision.

The Lord’s Resistance Army has declined to send its top leaders to the Juba for peace talks after the request by the government that they do so. This came just hours after the UPDF captured one of the LRA's top commanders, Col. Lapaico, in Pader. Instead, Vincent Otti told Dr. Riek Machar that the LRA would send two colonels, Bwone Lobwa and Santo Alit, to join the rebel delegation for talks now expected to begin Friday. In the meeting with Otti on the Sudan-DRC border, Machar expressed clear dismay at the LRA stance, which he said jeopardized his own government's credibility. "We defied the whole world so you could have a chance to come and say your viewpoints," Machar told Otti. Otti said neither he nor Kony could attend the Juba talks, at least at first, due to security concerns. Read more at The Monitor.

The start of direct peace talks between the LRA and Ugandan government is likely to be delayed logistically. There are reports that rebel leader Joseph Kony has not yet met with the 15-man LRA negotiating team and Dr. Riek Machar, who recently traveled to the Congo-Sudan border to discuss the fine details of talks. By press time, Machar and the LRA team had not returned to Juba. Uganda’s delegation had also not arrived by press time. Read more at The New Vision.

The Minister for Security, Amama Mbabazi, has traveled to The Hague to make a case for Uganda's offer of amnesty to the indicted rebel leader Joseph Kony. The minister will brief the International Criminal Court about the peace talks that will get underway this week. In another development, Kony has sent 20 LRA fighters to Rajaf, which is 12 km east of Juba. Sources believe these forces were sent to provide security for the 15-man LRA negotiating team. Read more at The Monitor.

Sudan, Uganda and Congo are the world's three most dangerous places for children due to wars that have brought death, disease and displacement to millions, a Reuters AlertNet poll shows. "The most dangerous places are those conflict zones where children are actively recruited into the fighting forces, and the current worst offender...is Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army," said Gareth Evans, head of the International Crisis Group think tank. Read more at Reuters AlertNet.

An ideal outcome of the peace talks would be a power-sharing agreement, says Vincent Otti, the LRA's number two commander. In a telephone interview, Otti said that the talks, slated to start tomorrow, would likely run through Saturday. If all goes well, the preliminary talks could lead to a ceasefire, paving the way for full scale negotiations. Additionally, the LRA wants assurances from President Museveni and the International Criminal Court (ICC) that its top commanders wouldn't later be arrested and sent to The Hague. The LRA also wants the United States, Britain and Canada to serve as observers to the negotiations and any deal that arises from the talks, to assure that it doesn’t later collapse, Otti said. Read more at New York's Black Star News.

The expected arrival on Tuesday of the government peace team for talks in Juba has been put on hold until they are invited by the South Sudan Vice-President, Dr. Riek Machar. The New Vision reports that since last Sunday, Machar has been holding talks with LRA chief Joseph Kony and his deputy Vincent Otti in a village 10km west of Mabanga in Southern Sudan. Sources said Machar is trying to convince Kony or Otti to personally lead the LRA delegation to the talks. Read more at The New Vision.

Mahmood Mamdani, distinguished Uganda professor at Columbia University, has written an Op/Ed in The New Vision. Mamdani writes, " No matter the outcome, the Juba talks will mark a historic turning point in the development of the conflict in Northern Uganda. Even at first glance, these talks differ from all previous contacts with the LRA on two counts: the talks will take place outside the country and, they will involve a third party." He continues that a second reason why the talks may be a turning point is that with an autonomous South Sudan, northern Uganda is no longer caught in a "political quarantine" imposed by the NRM government. He concludes, "I have three suggestions: a closure of the camps alongside a step-by-step rehabilitation program for its occupants; a general political amnesty alongside a warm welcome home for exiled sons and daughters of the soil; and a broad-based national discussion followed by a government of national unity in which all political forces, northern and southern, will have a prominent voice." Read the full text in The New Vision.

Archbishop John Baptist Odama, the chairman of the Acholi religious Leaders Peace Initiative (ARLPI), has urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to "keep far away" from Juba, where peace talks are set to begin Wednesday. Our people have suffered enough. They are tired of staying in camps,” Odama said on Saturday. Read more at The New Vision.

A new campaign, The Don't Sleep Campaign, has been launched to "encourage African-Americans and the Hip Hop generation not to sleep on the crisis concerning Uganda's 'night commuters.'" The Don't Sleep Campaign will be a great asset in the ongoing efforts to build an international movement for peace in northern Uganda. Click here to get involved.

Brig. Dominic Ongwen of the Lord's Resistance Army is not dead, a DNA test carried out on his suspected corpse indicates. Instead, the rebel commander is now believed to be in southern Sudan, attempting to cross the Nile to join the LRA headquarters in northern DR Congo. Previously believed to be dead, Ongwen's suspected corpse was paraded by the UPDF in Soroti last year. "Yesterday, July 6, 2006, pre-Trial Chamber II of the ICC unsealed the results of DNA tests conducted on the corpse reported to be that of LRA commander Dominic Ongwen,” the ICC announced in a statement. "The DNA results are negative, meaning that the body is not that of Dominic Ongwen." Read more at The Monitor.

Days before the Sudan-mediated talks between the Ugandan government and the rebels begin on Wednesday, observers warn against high expectations as the sense of urgency and momentum required for successful talks seems to be lacking. The LRA delegation expects to enter into wide-ranging peace talks that would address the root causes of the conflict and provide structural solutions to redress the 'history of injustice' in northern Uganda. The Ugandan government, on the other hand, seems to have a much more pragmatic idea of what the talks could achieve; focusing on a cessation of hostilities and the reintegration of LRA rebels into society. The mediating south Sudanese government has not yet put forward a framework for the talks. Read more at the UN's IRIN News.

The Ugandan Government has asked LRA leaders Joseph Kony and Vincent Otti to personally lead the Juba peace talks. Chief mediator Riek Machar travelled to Mabanga in southern Sudan on Saturday where he met Kony and Otti, in a village 10km west of Mabanga. "Riek personally communicated Museveni’s message to Kony and Otti, and requested them to attend the Juba talks in person," a source said. "The position of President Yoweri Museveni is that the Government can only speak to authentic and authoritative leadership. This means that either Kony or Otti should lead the delegation," said the foreign affairs state minister yesterday. Read more at The New Vision.

President Museveni has extended the deadline for the end of talks with the rebel LRA to September 12. Originally, he had wanted to see results by the end of July. Talks between a Ugandan government delegation and LRA representatives are due to start on Wednesday this week in Juba, the capital of Southern Sudan. "The government’s position is that these two months should allow the LRA time to consult and to thoroughly think through what they have to tell government as well as demonstrate seriousness," said the government delegation's spokesperson yesterday. Read more at The Monitor.

The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) commander, Joseph Kony, and his deputy, Vincent Otti, have accepted the amnesty offer by President Museveni. Otti, speaking on behalf of Kony in an interview on Radio France International on Friday, contradicted the LRA peace delegation in Juba that described Museveni’s amnesty offer as "redundant." "For us we have accepted the amnesty with both hands. I am speaking to you on behalf of Kony. We have accepted the amnesty with both hands," Otti said. Read more at The New Vision.

LRA top commanders' acceptance of the government amnesty offer has brightened prospects for success in peace talks set to begin this week in Juba. By saying they accept the amnesty offer, Kony and Otti may be saying they are willing to give up fighting. "This [announcement] is the first step towards resolving the troubles and the beginning of everlasting peace in northern Uganda and Southern Sudan,” said an upbeat Oryem Okello, one of eight government representatives for peace talks. "It gives us confidence that Joseph Kony and Otti are serious partners and have genuine intentions for dialogue now more than ever, which we welcome." Read more at The Monitor.

South Sudan’s Vice President Riek Machar, who has led efforts to mediate an end to the war in northern Uganda by the LRA, called on LRA rebel leader Joseph Kony to send his deputy Vincent Otti for the peace talks. "I hope that he will upgrade his delegation by sending Vincent Otti because the Ugandan government has already accepted to negotiate with the five LRA leaders (wanted by the) International Criminal Court," Machar told reporters. Uganda’s envoy to Sudan confirmed that his government had revised its earlier position of not talking directly to any LRA members wanted by the ICC. Read more at The Sudan Tribune.

The Ugandan Government has finalized an emergency humanitarian plan for resettling the 1.7 million internally displaced persons in war-torn northern Uganda. Prime Minister Prof. Apolo Nsibambi said in addition to providing security, the Government would focus on protecting human rights by deploying police in key areas, providing emergency food, water, shelter and health services in order to lower mortality rates and promote reconciliation in the communities. The plan of action is drawn by the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC), which was set up by the government and development partners to consolidate humanitarian interventions in the north. Read more at The New Vision.

The French ambassador to Uganda, Bernard Garancher, has said big crimes like those committed by the LRA cannot be ignored for the sake of long-lasting peace. Meeting journalists on Thursday, Garancher said, "Justice must be observed. I am sure the big judges at the International Criminal Court believe that a major crime has been committed against humanity and they will not rest." Read more at The New Vision.

The government has said it will construct 222 police stations in northern Uganda as part of the comprehensive humanitarian plan to restore justice, law and order in the region. Read more at The New Vision.

President Museveni has said he will work with Parliament to amend the Amnesty Act to allow for the forgiveness of rebel leader Joseph Kony and his top commanders. "We must sit on the table and agree that he comes out of the terrorism. Once he does that, we shall pardon him," Museveni said on Thursday. He said he would not have re-opened negotiations with Kony if he had "reliable partners" in the region and in the world. Museveni said, "There are UN forces in Congo they also do not allow us operate in Congo. Therefore we said OK, since we have no reliable partners, the Congo government is not serious, the UN forces are not serious, and the people in Southern Sudan are suffering lets look for another way. That is why we agreed to talk with Kony." Read more at The Monitor.

Ugandan officials will meet over the weekend to discuss the rejection by LRA rebels of a government amnesty offer to protect them from international prosecution for war crimes, a military spokesman said on Friday. Talks between a Ugandan peace team and representatives of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) are due to begin next week in Juba. Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni had called a meeting on Saturday of the delegation flying to Juba. Read more at Reuters AlertNet.

The Lord's Resistance Army delegation have rejected President Museveni's amnesty offer to their leader Joseph Kony. The rebels say the offer is "redundant" and "irrelevant." "When we go for negotiations, we negotiate as equal persons on the table so it is... redundant for the President of Uganda to come out and say 'we are offering amnesty to the LRA leaders," Olweny Obonyo, LRA's spokesman said on Wednesday. The LRA delegation and the government team are in Juba, the Southern Sudan capital, waiting for peace talks expected to kick off on July 12. Read more at The Monitor.

President Museveni has named an eight-man team for peace talks with the LRA due next Wednesday in Juba. The team is lead by the internal affairs minister, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, who will be assisted by the state minister for foreign affairs in charge of international relations, Henry Okello Oryem. The list includes the head of the internal and external security organisations, Dr. Amos Mukumbi and Makku-Igga respectively, as well as the Chief of Military Intelligence, Col. Leonard Kyanda. Museveni also named acting commander of UPDF’s 4th Division in Gulu, Col. Eric Otema, who is also head of intelligence operations in northern Uganda and southern Sudan. Read more at The New Vision.

A Kampala advocate, Crispus Ayena Odongo, has been appointed legal adviser to the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Ayena is already in Juba, southern Sudan as part of the LRA delegation for peace talks. Ayena last year unsuccessfully contested for the post of deputy Secretary General of the NRM party. He also lost the race for the Oyam North MP seat on the NRM ticket. Ayena, flanked by Obonyo Olweny, the LRA spokesman, on Wednesday described President Museveni’s offer of amnesty to Kony as "redundant." "Amnesty presupposes surrender… that’s why there is the Amnesty Act in Uganda. Amnesty would mean you are no longer available for discussion. The amnesty doesn’t help in finding a solution to the problem of the north," said Ayena, who boasted about having a lawyer’s edge in interpreting situations and law. Read more at The New Vision.

The United States said on Thursday that it respects Uganda's decision to offer amnesty to a LRA leadership, but believes perpetrators of atrocities during its two-decade civil war should still face justice. "The United States respects Uganda's decision on this matter, but we believe those who have committed atrocities in this long-standing insurgency should be held accountable for their deeds," the U.S. embassy in Uganda said in a statement. Washington has taken an increasing interest in the Ugandan conflict, saying in May it was a U.S. priority to help get rid of the LRA threat by the end of this year. Read more at Reuters AlertNet.

LRA rebels may be using peace talks as a guise to secretly reorganize and rearm, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said yesterday, urging the arrest of their leaders. But the prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, stopped short of challenging Ugandan President Museveni to break off peace efforts with the rebels or to retract his offer of amnesty if the talks succeed. 'We believe the best way to stop the conflict and restore security to the region is to arrest the top leaders," Moreno-Ocampo said, adding that it was the duty of the international community to carry out the arrests since the court has no enforcement arm of its own. Read more at The Boston Globe.

The LRA has welcomed the gesture by government to send a delegation to Juba, describing it as a sign of commitment to a peaceful resolution to the conflict in the north. The LRA delegation spokesman, Obwonyo Olweny, however, said on Tuesday that the talks would start after consultations among rebel leaders. "The government (of Uganda) had suggested 10th July, which is Monday. We suggest later than that but within the same week," Olweny said. He further said the choice of Juba as a venue for the talks might be reviewed in future for lack of “facilities.” On the July 31 deadline by President Yoweri Museveni, Olweny said the peace process should not be anchored on deadlines. Read more at The New Vision.