Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony told journalists he was committed to negotiating peace after 19 years of war, and denied he had committed war crimes.
Kony, whose Lord’s Resistance Army is fighting a rebellion in northern Uganda, rarely appears in public. He emerged from the bush Monday to meet with a delegation of officials and lawmakers from northern and eastern Uganda and representatives of private development and peace organisations.
On Tuesday, he held his first formal meeting with a peace mediator and a Ugandan government negotiator. He told reporters afterwards that he would remain in the talks even if the government did not agree to his demand that a ceasefire agreement be struck before substantive talks could begin.
”I will try … to talk so that we cease the fire,” Kony said.
Just before Kony held a rare news conference, Lord’s Resistance Army spokesperson Obonyo Olweny read out a statement by the group’s top leaders in which they were categorical that no meaningful negotiations can take place without a ceasefire agreement.
The Lord’s Resistance Army is made up of the remnants of a rebellion that began after Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni took power in 1986.
The rebels are accused of attacks on civilians and aid workers in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan, where they sought refuge as the Ugandan army gained an upper hand in northern Uganda.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Kony said he joined the rebellion because Museveni, he claimed, killed his family and destroyed their property.
”What happened is Museveni came to our place or to my home and killed my father, killed my sisters, destroyed all properties of my father and other people’s property. There are so many things, that is why most of our people also went into the bush” to fight, Kony said.
The autonomous government of Southern Sudan is mediating the talks involving Kony in hopes of improving its own chances for stability.
The rebels’ political agenda is unclear.
The group is known for abducting thousands of children, forcing them to become fighters, servants or sex slaves. Thousands of civilians have died in the conflict and more than one million have been forced to flee their homes.
Kony, who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, said he would not appear before the court.
”No, no, no,” he said when asked whether he would agree to a trial as a chance to defend himself. Asked why, Kony said, ”Because I did not do anything.”
Kony has yet to meet with the main Ugandan government delegation, led by Interior Affairs Minister Ruhakana Rugunda.
Riek Machar, the chief mediator in the talks, told journalists that rebel and government negotiators will resume their discussions in the southern Sudanese capital of Juba on Monday.
Representatives of the Lord’s Resistance Army and Uganda’s government formally began talks in Juba on July 14 with the help of mediators from southern Sudan. The talks adjourned on July 24 so the two sides could consult their respective leaders.
”My position was to come and brief General Kony on the progress of the peace talks. We, as a mediation team, have done that and agreed to go forward with the second leg of peace talks, hopefully which should start next week Monday,” said Machar, who is also vice-president of the autonomous government of southern Sudan.
A lawmaker from southern Sudan’s regional assembly who participated in Tuesday’s talks said Kony met with southern Sudanese elders as well and asked them for forgiveness.
The lawmaker, Betty Ogwaro, said Kony acknowledged the Lord’s Resistance Army had committed some atrocities in southern Sudan but also insisted the Ugandan armed forces were to blame for most of the atrocities.
”Kony assured people that they definitely want peace and they are not going backwards now. While negotiations are going on, the Lord’s Resistance Army will not do atrocities,” Ogwaro said, relaying what she said was a pledge from Kony. — Sapa-AP