The Monitor reports that the LRA negotiating team has said the rebels and their leader Joseph Kony will not sign a final peace agreement unless the International Criminal Court indictments are lifted. "Kony gave me all the authority to negotiate on his behalf but if the ICC indictments are still in place, he said he would never, I repeat, never assemble," LRA head negotiator Dr. David Matsanga said earlier this week. With only an agreement on DDR left to sign, the parties reportedly debated the ICC issue for 10 hours before hitting a stalemate. The LRA delegation proposed that the Ugandan government request the UN Security Council to defer the arrest warrants, as permitted under Article 16 of the Rome Statute. The Ugandan government flatly rejected this demand, saying that such a request was premature before demobilization.

The New Vision is reporting that a group of LRA rebels killed 11 people, including seven SPLA soldiers, and abducted 27 others last week in a South Sudanese town near the border with the Central African Republic. Joseph Ngere, deputy governor of Western Equatoria, said that a group of about 400 rebels attacked on February 19, at the same time as the LRA delegation in Juba signed the final agreement on 'accountability and reconciliation'. This underlines the growing concern that a final peace agreement may soon be signed in Juba with which the LRA military leadership would not comply. Nevertheless, a signed agreement would still provide a framework for stopping the violence, addressing underlying grievances and promoting reconciliation. Its implementation should not be held hostage and even sabotaged because of a few obstinate elites.

The Monitor reports that six African presidents have been invited to witness the signing of a final peace agreement in Juba, tentatively scheduled for March 6. Those presidents invited are from DR Congo, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Sudan and Tanzania. However, the parties have been locked in a disagreement over the final agenda item of disarmament, demobilization, repatriation and reintegration (DDRR). This includes details and deadlines for the LRA to put down their arms and come out of the "bush." The New Vision reports that the LRA team is now headed to Ri-Kwangba to consult with rebel leader Joseph Kony on this issue.

The Monitor is reporting that an estimated 189 LRA fighters have arrived in the Central African Republic. Their intelligence sources say the group set off on 12 February and arrived six days later. The Ugandan army confirmed the information today and accused the LRA of attacking a town on the Sudan-CAR border. "We can confirm that LRA entered CAR last week and yesterday they attacked Ezo town, killing a number of civilians and retreated back to CAR," said Capt. Paddy Ankunda, the army spokesman. This news plays into concerns about rebel compliance with this weekend's historic 'permanent ceasefire', but this move did happen prior to the agreement. Meanwhile, The Monitor also reports that LRA leader Joseph Kony has remained behind, in a Congolese village west of Ri-Kwangba.

The Ugandan government and LRA delegations to the Juba peace talks signed a “permanent ceasefire” today, making it the third agenda item of the negotiations to be finalized within the last week. Disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) is the only agenda item left to negotiate, and the parties were optimistic that a final deal could be inked by next week. The mood in Juba was jubilant, with UN envoy Joaquim Chissano calling today’s agreement the “end of the war.” There is no doubt that the permanent ceasefire is a historic step toward ending Africa’s longest running war, but crucial efforts remain to ensure compliance and implementation. The whereabouts of Joseph Kony remain unknown, and it is unclear whether the LRA chief trusts the LRA peace delegation and will abide by the recent flurry of agreements. Also, serious questions remain about the Ugandan government’s willingness to uphold and implement the accords.

On Tuesday, 1,000 U.S. citizens will lobby Congress to consistently support a peaceful resolution to the war in northern Uganda and commit to support any viable peace agreement that is signed. Join us and be a piece of the peace!

The Ugandan government and LRA signed an agreement yesterday on implementing “comprehensive solutions” to the conflict, the second agenda item of the negotiations. It includes provisions for addressing war survivors’ livelihood concerns such as land, livestock replenishment and economic recovery. It also calls for mechanisms to be enacted aimed at ending regional imbalances in representation within the government and military. Further, the agreement calls for a “national and self-accounting body to be enacted by an Act of Parliament” to implement the provisions, as well as for a “Stakeholder’ Conference” to be convened to consult with local communities and leaders. Read the full text of the agreement at The Monitor.

The head of the LRA peace delegation said today that LRA chief Joseph Kony is “willing to come out of the bush” and sign a peace deal with the Ugandan government. "Our generals are happy with the agreement [and] are getting themselves ready to abandon armed rebellion and resume life normally," said David Matsanga. However, some reports claim that Kony is moving deeper into the DR Congo or into the Central African Republic. Yesterday’s New Vision cited UN security sources as saying that 200 well-armed LRA rebels entered CAR on February 18th.

Ongoing talks in Juba hit a snag today after the LRA delegation walked out of the negotiations over a dispute regarding agenda item #2, comprehensive solutions to the conflict. The LRA presented a set of demands that included cabinet and ambassador positions for the LRA, as well as a “golden handshake in cash and in kind” to be paid to LRA negotiators. The Ugandan government, which has rejected similar demands in the past, refused the demand. Spokesman Lt. Chris Magezi said, “The Constitution lays out the ways to get to power or leadership in Uganda. We want to sign a deal where the LRA combatants are able to go back home and participate like you and me.” Read more at The New Vision.

The agreement signed this week in Juba between the Ugandan government and LRA on accountability and reconciliation has drawn mixed reactions from the international community. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon released a statement yesterday welcoming the “breakthrough” agreement, adding that “the challenge ahead will be to ensure the credible implementation of this agreement.” The UN Mission in Sudan also welcomed the deal. The International Criminal Court also issued a statement, saying, “The arrest warrants against the LRA commanders were issued by the court and remain in effect. A challenge to the admissibility of the case remains hypothetical and, in any event, would be a matter for the judges of the court to decide upon.” An Amnesty International press release stated that indicted LRA leaders should arrested and surrendered to the ICC “without delay.”

In Gulu, district chairman Norbert Mao expressed support for the agreement, saying, "This is a major step towards peace. If the LRA has committed itself to the agreement, then the Uganda government must do everything possible—including lobbying to drop war crimes [ICC] indictments against the LRA.”

The Ugandan government and LRA delegations inked a landmark agreement today specifying justice and reconciliation mechanisms that will address crimes committed during two decades of conflict. Creating a consensus on the most controversial aspect of the 19-month-old Juba talks, the agreement stipulates that a special division of Uganda’s High Court will try LRA leaders accused of grave crimes. Traditional justice mechanisms and lower courts will deal with other LRA rebels. It also calls for reparations to be made to victims of the conflict and for the creation of a truth-telling body. The agreement on agenda item #3 of the Juba talks follows months of consultations with war survivors and legal experts that began after a framework agreement was signed in June 2007. Both parties were upbeat about the fragile peace talks after the signing today, and negotiations on the remaining two agenda items (DDR and final ceasefire) are expected to begin immediately. Read more of our analysis of the implications of today's agreement below.

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The peace talks between the Ugandan government and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) were expected to resume today in Juba. Briefing the media yesterday, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, the Government's lead negotiator, said he expects a final ceasefire agreement signed by the end of the month. The teams will start discussions on the final ceasefire, as well as disarmament and demobilization of the LRA rebels. "We are going to a crucial phase of these discussions that we have been engaged in. We want to use every minute of it as constructively as possible," Rugunda said. Read more at The New Vision.

As the latest round of negotiations begin today in Juba, the Ugandan government is accusing the rebels of attacking civilians in southern Sudan. However, in an interview today with Voice of America, the LRA's lead negotiator Dr. David Matsanga said that the government’s accusation is baseless. "I have just arrived from Ri-Kwangba where we went with a 12-man delegation to go and meet the leadership of the LRA, and where we had a conclusive meeting. All our troops are assembled in Ri-Kwangba..." Matsanga said. He blamed the alleged attacks on what he described as renegade rebels roaming in the Sudan. Matsanga said the LRA high command has given him the mandate to negotiate with the Government to find a lasting solution to the conflict.

Reuters reports that the Ugandan government is accusing the LRA rebels of "blatant violations" of the cessation of hostilities by attacks in southern Sudan. These attacks by an unidentified group came as some LRA rebels are allegedly on the move toward Central African Republic. UPDF Commander of Land Forces Lt. Gen. Katumba Wamala said this weekend that that the LRA and its leader Joseph Kony have never assembled at the designated points in southern Sudan. "They have not respected the truce they signed with the Government," Wamala said. However, the Government simultaneously says that peace talks will continue. Negotiations are due to resume on Monday, when the parties are expected to sign a partial agreement on reconciliation and accountability. They will then move to the final agenda items, including disarmament and reintegration.

Speaking to UN journalists this week, the Ugandan military issued the strongest reiteration yet of its threat to renew military hostilities against the LRA if a peace deal is not reached by the end of month. Despite recent progress in Juba, UPDF spokesman Chris Magezi said, "The February 29 deadline is still on and I can tell you in no uncertain terms that [the] government has no plans of renewing or announcing other deadlines. After the expiry of the deadline, the government will have an array of options, including the military option."

Archbishop John Baptist Odama of Gulu, a highly respected advocate for a peaceful solution to the conflict, spoke out strongly against the ultimatum, saying, "They should not be impatient…Both parties should know that the people of northern Uganda would not want a bloodbath again after both the government and the LRA took the decision to go to peace talks. Those who propagate war should be ready to answer for the lives that would be lost and be ready to face the consequences of the resumption of war." Read more at IRIN News.

The UN News Service reports this week that “unidentified groups” are responsible for attacks in South Sudan’s Central Equatoria state in recent weeks that have been characterized by violence, looting and abductions. The report says that there is no confirmed death total from the attacks, though other news sources have pinned the number between 4 and 136. UN officials in Sudan have said the attacks have displaced about 300 people and that local communities blame the LRA for the raids.

Yesterday’s Sudan Tribune reports that South Sudan’s army, the SPLA, has begun deploying around the Ugandan border in an effort to prevent further attacks and strongly suspects the LRA is responsible for the recent violence. However, a senior SPLA official suggested that splinter LRA groups that include South Sudanese members had carried out the attacks, not the main LRA force in the DR Congo under the command of Joseph Kony. The LRA delegation to the Juba peace talks has dismissed allegations that the LRA is responsible.

The LRA negotiating team is denying fresh reports that a group of their rebels is "on the move" to Central African Republic and abducting civilians along the way. In an interview with Voice of America, LRA lead negotiator David Matsanga said, "These reports are baseless, useless reports, diversionary reports that are propaganda by the government of Uganda."

A senior official from South Sudan said today that hundreds of LRA fighters, elderly and children have been seen moving westwards over the past two days from their base in the DR Congo towards the Central African Republic (CAR). Though they apparently have not attacked anyone, a Ugandan military spokesman said that such a move would be in violation of the cessation of hostilities agreement, which stipulates that the rebels assemble in Ri-kwangba, Sudan. However, members of the LRA peace team denied the allegations. In February 2007 UN officials in Sudan claimed that LRA fighters were infiltrating CAR to link up with rebels there, and the think tank International Crisis Group reported in April 2007 that LRA fighters received weapons drops in CAR from external supporters. Last year CAR President Francis Bozize promised regional leaders that he would not allow LRA fighters into his country. Read more at The Monitor.

On a more hopeful note, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has said that the Juba peace talks are the most promising of all the negotiation efforts that have taken place in the past. Read more at The New Vision.

The New Vision is reporting that the lead negotiator for the Ugandan government, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, has protested the recent reports of LRA killings of civilians in South Sudan. "It is a gross violation of the cessation of hostilities agreement. The culprits shall be brought to account for these atrocities," Rugunda said. More attacks on civilians in South Sudan have been reported in the past days. Two separate incidents occured on Sunday, according to SPLA sources. Earlier, around February 4, an unspecified number of people were killed in an attack in Kansuk near Kajo-Keji. The death toll varies between 136 according to the French press agency AFP, 36 according to Ugandan intelligence sources, and four according to the SPLA. The LRA have dismissed allegations of their involvement.

The LRA negotiating team has hired a new spokesperson and added two Ugandan criminal lawyers. A Teso-based journalist, Ms. Immaculate Apio, has been appointed the new spokesperson, replacing Mr Godfrey Ayoo who has fired by rebel leader Joseph Kony. The two new layers include Ms. Jane Anywa, an international humanitarian lawyer who has prosecuted two suspects before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and Mr. Caleb Alaka, a criminal lawyer who negotiated a peaceful settlement for members of the defunct UNRF II rebel group in 2001. Alaka yesterday said; "Being a northerner, this is the best I can do for my people to make sure that there is peace after a long period of suffering." Meanwhile, the LRA negotiating team has dismissed allegations of LRA killings in southern Sudan. "There is no LRA in eastern Equatorial, all the rebels are in Ri-Kwangba. those killings were committed by proxy groups formed by the Uganda government," Dr. James Obita said. Read more at The Monitor.

More on the allegations that a group of LRA rebels killed "dozens" in southern Sudan last week: Reuters AlertNet is reporting that the deputy governor of southern Sudan's western Equatorial state protested to the Ugandan military of the attacks. In response, the Cessation of Hostilities Monitoring Team (CHMT) of the Juba peace process will investigate these claims. The CHMT is composed of officers from Uganda, the LRA and south Sudanese authorities. If true, this could be the single largest rebel attack since the massacres in Lira and Soroti districts in 2004. It would seriously jeopardize confidence at the Juba peace negotiations. However, we shouldn't speculate until investigations proceed. Nevertheless, we should all mourn the continued loss of life in southern Sudan. If these killings happened anywhere else in the world other than Central or East Africa, we'd bet that they'd be on the front page of the international media.

The Ugandan government has warned that it will not renew the cessation of hostilities agreement, due to expire at the end of February. The government's peace team was reportedly angered by the LRA’s request for another break to travel to Nairobi for workshops on conflict resolution. LRA lead negotiator David Matsanga said however that the Nairobi consultative meeting is aimed at ironing out all the intricacies before they meet Kony for a briefing ahead of the signing of the final peace deal. Read more at The Sunday Vision.

The Monitor today is reporting on the "inside story" of the peace talks resuming in Juba this week. They describe new dynamics brought by the new LRA lead negotiator, Dr. David Matsanga, and the gridlock over the LRA's proposal for 35% of army and security jobs to be given to people from northern and north-eastern Uganda. The Government rejected this proposal, but has said it will continue to work that the composition of armed forces reflect the national character. It also made several other concessions, including establishing a "Diaspora desk" in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and support for LRA combatants when they come out of "bush." The chief mediator adjourned the meeting and promised to send to the parties a copy of his proposal arising out of their discussions.

The commander of the Ugandan army's land forces, Lt. Gen. Katumba Wamala, has warned LRA leader Joseph Kony to stop coming up with new demands at the ongoing Juba talks. He said there was need for a deadline for the talks so that the LRA and government peace teams would speed up the process. "He did not go to Garamba out of choice; it was survival instinct that carried him across the Nile to the DR Congo. The same instinct should tell him that the best option for him and the people he is holding hostage is to sign the peace agreement," Wamala said while addressing a Pader IDP camp. Read more at The New Vision.

The New Vision reports that the Ugandan government and LRA delegations in Juba failed to reach an agreement on Tuesday night over power-sharing, distribution of jobs and government contracts. The LRA team, led by David Nyekorach Matsanga, on Monday tabled a demand for 35% of cabinet, army and security positions for people of north and north-eastern Uganda. The parties reportedly agreed on a number of other issues, such as facilitation for settlement of IDPs, participation in politics and ownership of land, however the government argued that the issue of power sharing would be handled by the Equal Opportunities Commission. In an interview with Voice of America, the government's lead negotiator said these issues has already been dealt with in the agreement on agenda item #2. The government said that it would continue to ensure that the composition of the forces reflected the national character, but also insisted that recruitment should be based on merit.

The LRA delegation to the Juba talks has reportedly proposed that people from northern and north-eastern Uganda be assured a 35% representation in the Ugandan military and government following a peace deal. The draft proposal is part of ongoing negotiations on implementing agenda item #2, comprehensive solutions to the conflict, and is an apparent attempt to resurrect some demands that the Ugandan government strongly rejected during initial negotiations on agenda item #2 last year. Read more at The New Vision.

Also, read what we reported earlier today about a consensus agreement on agenda item #3 and ongoing discussions on agenda items #4 and #5.

The New Vision reported over the weekend and The Monitor reported yesterday that a proposal circulated by the U.S. has drawn a backlash from some on the LRA negotiating team. The unsigned document, reportedly titled "Scenario for Peace and Justice in Northern Uganda," detailed a plan for the LRA case to be withdrawn from the International Criminal Court in exchange for indicted rebel leaders agreeing to be tried in Uganda. A compelling idea, but some in the rebel team accused the U.S. of using underhand methods to promote it. The documents were reportedly prepared by the U.S. observer at the peace talks, Tim Shortley, along with former LRA chief negotiator Martin Ojul and rebel senior commander Col. Ray Achama sometime last year. According to our sources, the LRA team's anger stemmed from Ojul not sharing the documents with his fellow negotiators. Nevertheless, the negotiations still seem on track as the parties have reached a consensus on 'accountability and reconciliation' and are hoping to quickly discuss the final two agenda items.

The Sudan Tribune reports that the parties at the Juba peace negotiations have reached a consensus on the "implementation annex" for agenda item #3 on 'accountability and reconciliation'. The agreement is yet to be signed, but the parties have both agreed to the application of traditional justice mechanisms to backup the current Ugandan national justice system as an alternative to the International Criminal Court. The parties further agreed on reparations for those affected by the conflict. The leader of the LRA delegation said that his delegation agreed to the document in its totality, but could not sign it without presenting it to rebel leader Joseph Kony. Before the team travels to meet Kony though, they hope to also reach consensus on agenda items #4 (disarmament, demobilization and reintegration) and #5 (final ceasefire).

The Monitor is reporting that the Ugandan government and LRA negotiations are including discussion of the character of Uganda's armed forces and security agencies. A draft proposal by chief mediator and South Sudan Vice President, Riek Machar suggests that recruitment into security agencies shall be on merit and composed of all tribes of Uganda. The protocol is to re-enforce an agreement on Agenda Number Two on "comprehensive solution to the conflict," which was signed by the two parties in May 2007.

LRA leader Joseph Kony, according to The Sunday Vision, has dismissed two members of his Cessation of Hostilities monitoring team, as the peace talks resume. They are Col. Ray Achama and Maj. Dennis Okiror. No reason was given for their dismissal. Kony has also appointed four more lawyers and a doctor to his negotiating team. Meanwhile, as we reported earlier, two new observers from the US and European Union will hopefully strengthen the negotiations. Timothy Shortley is the US Special Adviser for Conflict Resolution, and Dr. Gordon Kricke is a political adviser to the EU Special Representative for Sudan. The two have expressed optimism that the parties could sign a comprehensive agreement by the end of February.

Former head of the LRA negotiating team, fired by Joseph Kony two weeks ago, has spoken out in an interview to Kenya's Daily Nation this weekend. Martin Ojul dismissed claims that he deliberately delayed the talks to continue earning allowances. He said, "The talks were on the right course. It was through my efforts that we have reached this far. If there was a delay at all, it should have been due to logistics not because of Ojul." The former chief negotiator said he would pray for the success of the talks.