LRA Ceasefire

The Lord’s Resistance Army have announced a ceasefire:

The Ugandan Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) has announced a unilateral ceasefire, with immediate effect.

The rebel movement’s deputy leader Vincent Otti told the BBC he had ordered all field commanders to cease all hostilities against Uganda’s army.

Ugandan Interior Minister Ruhakana Rugunda said his government would wait to see what happened on the ground, in response to the announcement….

In a phone call to the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme, Mr Otti announced: “I, Lt Gen Vincent Otti, second in command of the LRA, by the order of Gen Joseph Kony, chairman of the LRA High Command, do hereby declare a unilateral cessation of hostilities.

“I order all our field commanders to, with immediate effect, cease all form of hostilities against the Ugandan People’s Defence Forces (UDPF) positions and others.

“I do hope that the government of Uganda shall reciprocate this gesture of goodwill so that the warring parties may finally find a bilateral agreement to provide a peaceful atmosphere for our people,” Mr Otti said.

I do hope that the government of Uganda shall reciprocate this gesture of goodwill… Strange locution. Presumably what he means is, he hopes that Ugandan President Museveni makes good on his offer of a full amnesty and protection for the LRA leaders if renounce violence.

It seems to me that this is all about the LRA leaders trying to save their skins. Which suggests that the decision by the International Criminal Court to indict them as war criminals has been vindicated.