LRA refuses to renew treaty
24/02/2007 14:04  - (SA)  

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Kampala - The Ugandan rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) said on Friday that it would not renew a truce with the government.

The treaty is due to expire next week.

The refusal is a blow to a stalled peace process aimed at ending two decades of war.

LRA deputy commander Vincent Otti blamed Kampala for violating the truce that was the only significant achievement of peace talks that began last July.

Otti said: "The cessation of hostilities deal is a hopeless agreement. The government of Uganda is not respecting it and we see no reason why it should exist. We are not renewing it.

"The army has been attacking my boys east of the river Nile and, from now on, we will defend ourselves."

The peace talks have barely made progress, apart from the initial truce signed in August and renewed in December. This is due to expire on February 28.

The two sides are still deeply divided on critical issues, including a reformed Ugandan military and power-sharing.

Otti, alongside LRA supremo Joseph Kony and three other commanders, has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for crimes and against humanity - specifically, murder, rape, mutilations and mass abductions - in the course of their two decades of conflict with the government.

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