Uganda rebel infighting kills ICC target
RI-KWANGBA, Sudan (Reuters) - Infighting among Ugandanrebels killed nine people, including a commander wanted byinternational prosecutors, and delayed the signing of a finalpeace deal, sources involved in the talks said on Sunday.
Hopes of an end to one of Africa's longest wars were dashedafter Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord's Resistance Army, failedto attend a signing ceremony on the remote Sudan-Congo border,stalling nearly two years of tortuous negotiations.
Rebel sources said differences over the proposed agreementhad triggered gun battles between LRA factions earlier thisweek that killed nine people, including Okot Odhiambo.
Along with Kony and a third commander, Odhiambo is wantedby the International Criminal Court in The Hague for war crimesincluding rape, murder and the abduction of thousands ofchildren forced to serve as fighters, porters and "wives".
Rwot David Acana, the paramount chief of Kony's Acholitribe, could not confirm the reports of Odhiambo's death. Buthe said he had heard about the violence.
"I have got similar information, that nine lives have beenlost in the LRA after an internal clash," he told Reuters.
"We think that is why the signing failed."
Northern Uganda's 22-year conflict has killed tens ofthousands of people, uprooted 2 million more and destabilisedneighbouring parts of Sudan's oil-producing south and easternCongo, which has large mineral wealth.
If confirmed, Odhiambo would become the third of five LRAsuspects named by the ICC who have since died.
Kony executed his deputy Vincent Otti in October afteraccusing him of being a government spy, while fifth indicteeRaska Lukwiya was killed by Ugandan forces in August 2006.
MUSEVENI TO SUDAN
Meanwhile, Ugandan International Affairs Minister OkelloOryem said President Yoweri Museveni would fly to southernSudan on Monday to consult his counterpart Salva Kiir.
"The president is still willing to move the processforward, including finding a new mediator or a new venue,"Oryem said.
Mozambique's former president, Joaquim Chissano, the U.N.envoy to the war, arrived on the border on Sunday. He made noimmediate comment.
Kony had been due to sign a final agreement on Thursday.But he failed to turn up, asked mediators to clarify part ofthe document, and then fired the head of his negotiating team.
An LRA spokesman has since said Kony remains ready to sign,but wants guarantees of his safety and financial securityfirst.
Acana is the only member of a delegation of northern eldersflown in by mediators to have talked to Kony.
He said the rebel boss was unsure how Uganda's governmentplanned to use its own courts and ancient reconciliationrituals to counter arrest warrants issued by the ICC.
Acana, one of a small group that stayed in Ri-Kwangba withmediators led by south Sudan's Vice President Riek Machar, saidKony told him he sacked his negotiator because he had "rushedthe peace process for money". He did not elaborate.
Machar plans to wait on the border until Tuesday.
Even if Kony does sign a peace agreement, the LRA says itwill not disarm until the ICC indictments are scrapped. TheUgandan government has said it will only call for the warrantsto be lifted after a final deal has been reached.
The court says its warrants remain active, and that Ugandahas a legal obligation to arrest the TARGET(TGT.NY).
(Writing by Daniel Wallis; Editing by Mary Gabriel)
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