Three months max..... and this so called peace deal will collapse..who wants
to bet?
Matek
Museveni Signs Peace Deal With UNRF II Rebels
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The Monitor (Kampala)
December 23, 2002
Posted to the web December 23, 2002
By Kefa Atibuni, Badru Mulumba & Dawin Dawa
Kampala
President Yoweri Museveni and Ali Bamuze will tomorrow sign a peace agreement
after five years of negotiations.
Bamuze is the leader of Uganda National rescue Front (UNRF) II rebels.
The signing will be held at Yumbe district headquarters.
Delegates yesterday said both parties had already approved the peace deal.
The news that government and the rebels had come to an agreement was first
issued by the 2nd deputy prime minister Brig. Moses Ali at a rally in Yumbe
on Saturday. West Nile MPs also addressed the rally.
Later, the teams issued a press release jointly signed by the leader of the
government technical team Internal Affairs Permanent Secretary Dr S.P Kagoda
and UNRF II team leader Salim Angoliga.
Negotiations between UNRF II and the government started in 1988.
The government team includes Deputy Prime Minister Eriya Kategaya and
Attorney General Francis Ayume.
Talks in the last one-week were chaired by Justice Peter Onega, the chairman
of Amnesty Commission.
A group of West Nile MPs confirmed that the president would travel to Yumbe
to sign the peace agreement, although the peace talks were held at the
presidential lodge in Arua.
Appearing in a live talk show on Radio Arua One 88.7 FM, Aringa MP Othman
Alonga said the president will sign the agreement in Yumbe because the UNRF
II camps are based there.
Yumbe Woman MP Nusura Tiperu said the main area of concern in the peace
agreement has been the integration of rebels into UPDF.
"Government has even agreed to raise the age limit from 25 to 30 years so
that most of these boys (rebels) can be absorbed into UPDF," she said.
There are over 2,500 UNRF II combatants based at Bidibidi on the outskirts of
Yumbe town.
