Key points in the ceasefire agreement between the gov't and the LRA

The ‘Cessation of Hostilities' agreement that came into force at 0600 hrs (0300 GMT) on Tuesday was signed in Juba by Ruhakana Rugunda, Ugandan Minister of Internal Affairs and leader of the Kampala delegation, and Martin Ojul, leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) delegation. It was witnessed by Riek Machar, Vice-President of the government of southern Sudan and the mediator of the talks.

The agreement:

- obliges both parties to cease all hostile military action aimed at each other and any other action that may undermine the peace talks, and to cease hostile media and other propaganda campaigns, including any action that undermines the standing of the other;

- asks the LRA to let its fighters surface wherever they may be present within three weeks;

- designates places of worship in Uganda as a sanctuary for the LRA forces, if they so choose, from which they will proceed to assembly areas;

- names Owiny-ki-Bul in Eastern Equatoria State on the eastern side of the River Nile and Ri-Kwangba in Western Equatoria State on the western side of the River Nile as assembly points for the LRA;

- asks the Ugandan government to guarantee safe passage for the LRA;

- asks the Sudan People's Liberation Army to monitor and protect the LRA at assembly areas, and the southern Sudanese government to provide food to the LRA;

- notes that in the event of failure of the peace talks, the LRA will be allowed to leave the assembly areas peacefully; and

- creates a Cessation of Hostilities Monitoring Team that will report to the mediator, comprising a team leader - a senior SPLA military officer appointed by the Sudanese government in consultation with the parties; two representatives from the two parties; and two senior military officers appointed by the African Union.

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