Having given the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel group time to mourn their slain commander Raska Lukwiya, the second round of peace talks between the Ugandan government and the rebels is due to resume on Friday in Juba, southern Sudan. The talks, brokered by the government of south Sudan, are aimed at ending the 20-year war between the two parties in northern Uganda.
The Ugandan government delegation dismissed the funereal freeze as time wasting. Nevertheless its army has offered to foot the bill for Lukwiya’s burial — after allowing specialists from the International Criminal Court (ICC) to conduct DNA tests on the corpse to confirm his identity.
The LRA’s third-highest-ranking leader was killed by government troops last Saturday, the day after the rebels left the peace talks, demanding that the Kampala team reciprocate their offer of an immediate cessation of hostilities.
The army warns it will continue its offensive against the LRA until a peace agreement is signed. It said on Wednesday it had killed four LRA rebels, including junior commander Reagan Akena, who was allegedly involved in last year’s slaying of British tourist Steve Wills.
The LRA deaths have undoubtedly clouded the peace talks mediated by Sudanese Vice-President Riek Machar.
But the fact that the rebels have promised to be back is a promising development. Analysts say it indicates the rebels realise their position is weakening after the insurgency displaced a million people and saw tens of thousands of children abducted to become LRA soldiers or prostitutes.
Uganda has offered amnesty to LRA leaders — against the wishes of the ICC — in exchange for peace talks.