March 27,2008:
Government and LRA leaders at the Juba talks have agreed to sign a peace
treaty on April 5. The LRA and the Ugandan government have agreed to extend the
ceasefire. Apparently Uganda intends to ignore the International Criminal Court
(ICC) warrants for senior LRA officials. Ugandan and the LRA have come very
close to signing a formal peace agreement in the past. Reaching a peace
agreement should not be dismissed that means something. However, the real
test will come when it comes to dealing with details (like ICC warrants) and
implementing the peace agreement on-the-ground. For example, Uganda and the LRA
agreed to establish "safe corridors" for LRA rebels in northern Uganda, and the
LRA quickly accused the Ugandan Army of violating the agreement. The various
ceasefire agreements have been broken, and LRA units continue to make trouble
in South Sudan.
March 24,
2008: The government reported that on February 12 security personnel arrested a
Somali, Ali Abdi Hassan, suspected of belonging to Al Qaeda, at the capitals Entebbe Airport.
March 21,
2008: Police reported more trouble between Bakonzo tribe farmers and and
Basongora herders. One person was killed in the village of Rwehingo (western
Uganda).
March 20,
2008: Ugandan media began reporting in mid-March that LRA leader Joseph Kony
has moved from Congo to the Central African Republic (CAR). Subsequently, one
Ugandan government source confirmed the reports. "Where is Kony?" is a question
the Ugandan press asks on a regular basis. The reports look like another rumor,
but in light of the March 12 report of
an LRA attack in the CAR, it is an interesting rumor. Nevertheless, a Ugandan
delegation from northern Uganda (Kony's home turf) is scheduled to have a
meeting with him in the Congo.
March 12,
2008: Rebels from the LRA attacked the town of Obo in the Central African
Republic (CAR) and kidnapped 80 people. The attack took place sometime during
the first week of March. The latest report said "several" people were murdered
by rebels wielding machetes. If the report is accurate, it suggests that at
least one LRA group has moved from the northeastern Congo and/or south Sudan,
likely due increased security presence by Congolese and Sudanese forces.