By Skye Wheeler and Francis Kwera
RI-KWANGBA, Sudan (Reuters) - Elders from northern Ugandatried to meet fugitive rebel leader Joseph Kony on Friday tosalvage long-running peace talks after he delayed signing adeal to end one of Africa's longest wars.
The draft agreement between Kony's Lord's Resistance Armyand the government appeared to be near collapse after theelusive guerrilla asked mediators to clarify parts of the texton Thursday and then broke with his chief negotiator.
Religious and cultural leaders who went to explain thedocument failed to find Kony on Thursday at an agreed spot nearRi-Kwangba on the remote and thickly wooded Sudan-Congo border.Early on Friday, they ventured back into the bush to try again.
"The developments of yesterday and today are a challenge tothe peace process, nevertheless, the peace process continues,"the Ugandan government's top negotiator, Internal AffairsMinister Ruhakana Rugunda, told Reuters.
Asked whether he thought Kony would sign on Friday, Rugundasaid: "We need to know more ... there is no clear answer."
Kony's 22-year rebellion killed tens of thousands ofpeople, uprooted 2 million more in northern Uganda anddestabilised neighbouring parts of southern Sudan and easternCongo.
Kony, who is wanted for multiple war crimes by theInternational Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, did not appearat Thursday's planned signing ceremony in Ri-Kwangba.
South Sudan's Vice President Riek Machar, who has chairedtalks between the two sides since mid-2006, said the LRA leaderwas unsure how the government planned to use its courts andtraditional reconciliation rituals to counter the ICC warrants.
ICC prosecutors accuse the LRA boss and two deputies ofcrimes including rape, murder and the abduction of thousands ofchildren to serve as fighters, porters and sex slaves.
Even if Kony does sign a final peace deal, the rebels havevowed never to disarm until the indictments are scrapped.
(Writing by Daniel Wallis)
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