The New Vision reports that the chief mediator of the Juba talks, South Sudan's Vice-President Riek Machar, is to meet LRA leader Joseph Kony in Ri-Kwangba tomorrow, according to Government sources. Defense state minister Ruth Nankabirwa told the defense and internal affairs committee yesterday that the Government was awaiting the result of the meeting to determine its next course of action. "The ceasefire agreement has not been extended and the current situation is based on a gentleman's agreement and goodwill of the Government," she added.

The LRA has reportedly rejected a warning by the Ugandan government that they face serious consequences if they fail to sign the Final Peace Agreement as "extreme provocation." Responding on Voice of America, the government's lead negotiator said the LRA should show its seriousness about peace. "The confidence has been built, and this statement does not adversely affect that trend of confidence building because we have already stated that our preferred option is a peaceful solution, and we will go out of our way to for a peaceful solution as indeed we have done," Rugunda said. "But I would also say that there is no way how committing crimes against people in the region can be left to continue endlessly. That is why we want a speedy resolution of this matter peacefully."

The New Vision reports that LRA leader Joseph Kony has invited leaders from northern and eastern Uganda to a meeting on May 10 at the assembly point in Ri-Kwangba. The chief mediator Riek Machar said on Friday the list of people invited included religious, cultural and local leaders as well as members of Parliament from the conflict affected areas. Machar said he had been in touch with Kony and said he would personally attend the meeting. "The peace process is on course...

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The Sunday Vision reports that LRA leader Joseph Kony has dismissed rumors that he was shot dead following an internal revolt. The Gulu Resident District Commissioner, Walter Ochora, said Kony spoke to him by satellite phone on Friday afternoon. The rebel leader also refuted reports that he had killed his deputy, Okot Odhiambo. Asked when he was going to sign the final peace agreement, Kony said that he would take everybody by surprise.

The latest regarding the peace process: Local leaders from northern Uganda and the chief mediator remain in direct dialogue with rebel leader Joseph Kony about the Final Peace Agreement (FPA). They are currently working with the Ugandan Parliament to clarify the mechanisms of the accountability and reconciliation agreement, which will then hopefully be presented to Kony in early May. Meanwhile, the recent statements from the U.S., Canada, Europe and Japan show a united international front urging Kony to sign and committing to support implementation. These are positive signs and there remains hope that Kony may still sign the FPA.

The Monitor has printed an exclusive interview with Dr. James Obita, the LRA's new lead negotiator. In the interview, Obita said, "If I am reading everything correctly; there was a total breakdown of communication between the head of the LRA peace delegation and Joseph Kony and his fighters...When he [Kony] saw Ri-Kwangba being swamped by hundreds of people, including diplomats and the mediation team, he began to think that he is being pressured into signing the agreement." Obita also remarked, "There are very many people in the Diaspora who believe that we did not negotiate a good agreement...These people I cannot name in the Diaspora caused a lot of damage to the peace process and to us." Finally, speaking about prospects for Kony to sign the final peace deal, he said, "I think it would be wrong not to expect Kony to want assurance about his financial future...I know he wants both personal financial and security guarantees but I don't know how much he wants. And even if I did, those are private negotiations."

A donor group that has funded the Juba peace talks released a statement yesterday urging the LRA "to show its clear commitment to peace by signing and then implementing its obligations under the negotiated (deal)". The Partners for Democracy and Governance (PDG) – which includes Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Britain and the European Commission - has spent at least $11 million on the peace talks. The statement reinforces those of the Ugandan government, chief mediator Reik Machar, UN envoy Joaquim Chissano, political and cultural leaders and the LRA itself that despite the failure last week of Joseph Kony to sign a final peace agreement hope still remains to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Read more at Reuters.

The New Vision reports that Ruth Nankabirwa, Uganda's defense minister, has said LRA leader Joseph Kony fears that he will be arrested even if he signs the Final Peace Agreement. "But Kony has nowhere to run. Signing the peace agreements is the only way out for him, but he doesn't want to," she said. Nankabirwa also said reports that the rebel leader killed his deputy, Okot Odhiambo, were a mistake.

Speaking on Voice of America, Ruhakana Rugunda, the government’s chief negotiator has said it welcomes Joseph Kony's alleged appointment of James Obita as the new lead rebel negotiator. "The position of the government is simple, that Joseph Kony and the LRA can appoint or disappoint or change members of the delegation. It is their right, each side in the negotiation chooses and appoints its own delegation," Rugunda said. "All agreements arrived at and signed, and it is now only the final peace agreement, which is in effect a compilation of all the agreements that have been signed that remains to be signed by both Joseph Kony and President Yoweri Museveni to bring an end to the peace talks," he said. Rugunda said despite the stall in the peace negotiations, the Ugandan government is going ahead with its rebuilding efforts in war-affected areas in northern Uganda.

AFP reports that the chief mediator of the Juba talks Riek Machar said today that LRA leader Joseph Kony is still committed to the final peace deal despite failing to turn up to sign it. "Even though the cessation of hostilities agreement has expired he said the LRA would respect it and they remain in their assembled areas," he said. Machar also said that Kony's indirect message explained that he did not turn up last week because he "wanted more information," notably on the criminal charges and the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of his fighters. He said that Kony had come up with a timeline of meetings with Ugandan tribal and government leaders from April 26 to May 1, when he would meet Machar himself.

The Cessation of Hostilities agreement (CoH) between the Ugandan government and the LRA expired today, but no the lead negotiator for the Government said that it had no plans to take immediate military or political action against the rebels. Speaking at the Ugandan Parliament, Ruhakana Rugunda said that the Ugandan government was awaiting progress reports from chief mediator Reik Machar and UN envoy Joaquim Chissano before choosing how it will react to the decision of LRA leader Joseph Kony not sign a final peace agreement last week. The CoH was first signed in August 2006 and has been renewed several times since then. Read more at The Monitor.

The chief mediator of the Juba peace talks said today that Joseph Kony sent him a message through an intermediary that he is committed to the peace process but wants guarantees of personal security and clarification on justice and accountability mechanisms included in the peace agreement. Reik Machar said that Kony has requested “a meeting with me and religious and cultural leaders from northern Uganda on April 26 to try and do more explaining on those issues.” Machar also accused the LRA of abducting 55 children in south Sudan in recent weeks. Read more at The Monitor.

The New Vision reports that President Museveni, during his visit to Juba yesterday, accused LRA leader Joseph Kony of not being serious about the peace talks. "I am always branded a war monger. So, I had to come here and show that I am a very peaceful person," Museveni said after a one-hour meeting with South Sudan president Salva Kiir. Museveni accused the LRA of continuing to kidnap villagers from South Sudan, Congo and the Central African Republic. However, he declined to state the next course of action though, saying he was waiting for a report from the UN envoy, Joaquim Chissano and chief mediator Dr. Riek Machar.

The New Vision reports that the U.S. may remove the LRA from its terrorist list if its leader, Joseph Kony, signs the final peace deal and abandons rebellion. "The LRA is on the terrorists list because of its terror activities. If those activities cease, it is something we can consider," U.S. ambassador Steven Browning, said.

UN special envoy Joaquim Chissano, who arrived Sunday at Ri-Kwangba, has reportedly said that the Final Peace Agreement to end northern Uganda's 22-year war is far from dead. "The peace process is not dead. There is a lack of effective communication, and that is what the LRA leader wants," Chissano said. "There are people who are assisting in establishing that effective communication, and once that clarification is made the peace process will be back on the road."

The latest from Ri-Kwangba according to Reuters: Alleged infighting among the LRA has left nine people dead, including a commander indicted by the International Criminal Court, and is the latest explanation for the delayed signing of the Final Peace Agreement. Rebel sources said differences over the proposed agreement triggered gun battles between LRA factions earlier this week. Among those killed was supposedly Okot Odhiambo, a top rebel commander. If confirmed, Odhiambo would become the third of five LRA suspects named by the ICC who have since died. Meanwhile, an LRA spokesman has said Kony remains ready to sign, but first wants guarantees of his safety and financial security.

The Monitor reports that leaders from northern Uganda have urged caution as LRA leader Joseph Kony hesitates to sign the Final Peace Agreement. "We wanted everything anchored in the bush so that whatever was discussed Kony has a direct input," Gulu District Chairman Norbert Mao said. "This [failure to sign] is the cost of having parallel processes: in Juba and in Ri-Kwangba. It's time to show the LRA delegation in Juba that they are not on the same page with their principal." Mao said that the government should exercise some more restraint with Mr Kony because he has legitimate concerns, and to allow leaders from the north to get into direct contact with the rebels to salvage the peace deal. The coordinator of the Uganda Joint Christian Council, The Rev. Grace Kaiso, said Kony "needs our support so that he takes that crucial step and sign."

The latest update from The New Vision: President Museveni will hold a meeting with his South Sudan counterpart, Salva Kiir, on Monday on the way forward for the Final Peace Agreement.

Reuters is reporting that South Sudan's Vice President Riek Machar, the chief mediator in the Juba peace talks, has stayed at Ri-Kwangba on the Sudan-Congo border to try to meet Joseph Kony and salvage the Final Peace Agreement. "I want to speak to him...and see the next stage in the process," Machar said. "The protocols are signed. We just need to find out (about) his reservations." The U.N. envoy to the conflict, Joaquim Chissano, plans to arrive at the border on Sunday to help.

The latest from Ri-Kwangba: The Boston Globe reports that LRA leader Joseph Kony has again delayed signing the Final Peace Agreement because he wants guarantees of his safety and financial security. "Kony wants clarification of his physical and financial security, and once that is cleared up he will sign the peace agreement," LRA spokesman James Obita said. Before boarding a helicopter to leave yesterday, Ruhakana Rugunda, Uganda's lead negotiator, said his team would return when Kony was ready. "We're not negotiating with angels; we knew that," he said. Chief mediator Riek Machar will camp at the border and make further efforts to meet Kony, and his aides said the UN envoy to the conflict, Joaquim Chissano, hoped to join him there tomorrow.

The latest update from BBC News: the Ugandan government negotiators have left Ri-Kwangba where LRA leader Joseph Kony has delayed signing the Final Peace Agreement. "We are going back to Uganda until we are informed by the chief mediator when the Lord's Resistance Army will be ready to sign," lead government negotiator Ruhakana Rugunda said. The cessation of hostilities agreement signed between the government and rebels is due to expire next week.

Reuters reports elders from northern Uganda are trying to meet rebel leader Joseph Kony to salvage long-running peace talks after he delayed signing the Final Peace Agreement yesterday. Religious and cultural leaders who went to explain the document failed to find Kony yesterday at an agreed spot near Ri-Kwangba. Early on Friday, they ventured back into the bush to try again. "The developments of yesterday and today are a challenge to the peace process, nevertheless, the peace process continues," the Ugandan government's top negotiator, Internal Affairs Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, said. Asked whether he thought Kony would sign today, Rugunda said: "We need to know more...there is no clear answer."

The latest from Ri-Kwangba: The LRA's lead negotiator has reportedly quit after the delayed signing of the final peace deal, though sources said he had been fired. "I said earlier that if Kony does not appear to sign this peace agreement, I will not associate myself with him anymore," David Nyekorach-Matsanga said. "Today, I did not see Kony and he did not appear to sign the peace agreement." Sources involved in the talks said Kony had apparently fired the negotiator after asking to clarify parts of the document Matsanga had negotiated on his behalf.

More updates from The New York Times: LRA leader Joseph Kony today delayed signing a landmark peace treaty once again, but Ugandan officials remained hopeful that peace was still close. "We are giving him the benefit of the doubt," said Captain Paddy Ankunda, an Army spokesman. "He is expected to sign tomorrow. If he doesn’t, that will be his problem." More than 200 officials, diplomats, journalists, elders and family members of Kony have camped out in a jungle clearing near the Sudan-Congo border, waiting for the elusive rebel leader to emerge.

LRA leader Joseph Kony has reportedly requested further consultations before signing the Final Peace Agreement. The chief mediator Riek Machar said Kony asked for more time to confer with elders from northern Uganda and mediators. "I expect it tomorrow," Machar said, when asked when the signing would take place.

The Monitor reports that "Kony signs today." By the close of the day, today, LRA negotiators said the rebel leader Joseph Kony would sign the Final Peace Agreement at the Ri-Kwangba site on the Sudan-Congo border. Security sources at Nabanga, six miles from Ri-Kwangba said the LRA's Control Altar Brigade, which protects Kony, had arrived at the clearing: signaling that Kony was in the vicinity. "Kony is around and tomorrow (Thursday) he will sign the agreement and leave the rest for President Museveni on April 15," LRA's chief negotiator David Nyekorach-Matsanga said. However, the LRA chief's final intentions remain far from clear. No outsiders have seen him in months, and even if he breaks cover to sign the final agreement, his fighters have said they will not lay down their arms until the ICC warrants are revoked.

The chief mediator of the Juba peace talks said today that the LRA negotiating team has assured him that rebel leader Joseph Kony is prepared to sign the final peace deal on April 10th in Ri-Kwangba, at the border of Sudan and the DR Congo. Reik Machar, also Vice-President of South Sudan, said, “As mediators we have done everything that could be done to make sure the two sides agree to sign the final peace agreement. Let us wait and see what happens on Thursday.” Foreign dignitaries and members of the Ugandan peace team are expected to leave for Ri-Kwangba tomorrow to witness the signing. Speculation has been rife in recent days about Kony whereabouts, his willingness to sign the agreement and whether logistical difficulties could delay the signing further. Read more at The Monitor.

Today’s Monitor reports that six members of the LRA negotiating team have obtained visas allowing them to travel to the US, where they plan to lobby the UN Security Council to defer the International Criminal Court indictments of top LRA commanders. The team said that they would accompany UN envoy Joaquim Chissano to the UN headquarters in New York once the final Juba peace agreement is signed. Though the LRA is listed as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the US State Department, the team is not expecting difficulties entering the US.

A judiciary official with the Kampala High Court said yesterday that Uganda currently lacks the legal framework to try LRA commanders indicted by the International Criminal Court. Under the terms of the agreement on accountability and reconciliation reached by the Ugandan government and LRA in February, the Ugandan government is tasked with creating a special division of the Ugandan High Court that will provide an alternative to trial at the ICC for LRA leader Joseph Kony and the two other indictees. Paul Gadenya, Kampala High Court Registrar, said, “To set up such a court we need local laws on genocide and war crimes. It is therefore the duty of Parliament to make a law that should spell out the functions of such a special court, the offences to be tried and the specific jurisdiction giving powers for the judges who will handle the related offences.” Taking these steps will be a crucial test of the Ugandan government’s commitment to implementing the agreement. Read more at The Monitor.

Reuters reports that the U.N. special envoy and former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano has said he is confident the Final Peace Agreement will be signed, despite delays. "I have no doubt that a final deal will be reached...and I have come here to see how we can forge the way forward with the mediator," he said. "As far as I know, the signing was postponed because Kony has not shown up at the site," Chissano said. "There is varying information. You cannot be sure which one is correct but there are teams looking into that."

After announcing last week that Joseph Kony would sign the final peace agreement this Thursday in Ri-Kwangba, the LRA has asked for additional time to ink the deal. However, the reasons for the delay remain unclear. Ugandan government spokesman Chris Magezi quoted chief mediator Reik Machar as attributing the “setback” to Kony being sick and unable to travel to South Sudan, but later withdrew his statement. LRA lead negotiator David Matsanga said the delay was necessary to ensure that Ri-Kwangba could be properly equipped with facilities and “pomp as befits the ceremony and the dignitaries who will be attending." Both sides were confident that Kony would sign the agreement on April 10th, with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to sign soon after. Read more at the International Herald Tribune.