Ceasefire period expires, but army says it is still holding fire

Northern Uganda had high hopes by Tuesday for progress on peace talks to end 18 years of war in the region, but a seven-day ceasefire announced by the government a week ago had expired on Monday, with the army saying that the rebels had done little to show a willingness to talk. Army spokesman, Major Shaban Bantariza, told IRIN that the military was instead, studying the meaning of a recent directive by the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA)leader Joseph Kony to his commanders to leave northern Uganda and join him in southern Sudan. "Kony has been saying through his radio communication to his commanders that he wants 100 days to be able to take part in peace talks, but nothing shows that there is anything he has done to fully utilise the seven days given to him," Bantariza said. "We still do not understand why he [Kony] has ordered all his commanders to cross into Sudan and why he is headed deep into Sudan, towards Torit," Bantariza added, saying that the army was still hopeful. Government spokesman and information minister, Nsaba Buturo, said that the government was discussing a proposal by the chief mediator, Betty Bigombe - a former minister in charge of northern Uganda pacification - to extend the period of the truce, but added that the rebel group was supposed to fulfill some conditions as an indication that it was ready for talks with the government. "The proposal to extend the truce is under discussion now and no decision has yet been taken, but the LRA had to fulfill some conditions in the seven days, including assembling in designated areas which will be studied to see whether they have complied," Buturo, said by telephone. He said that government was also considering LRA's behavior in the past when it used such a situation to reorganise. "As we decide, we shall be mindful of the past experience when the LRA used announcement of a ceasefire by the government to instead, reorganise and resume the war. They may be asking for the extension to get more time to play their tricks again," the minister said. Buturo said however that the government will "do everything that it takes to deny Kony any excuse to run away from the peace process". In a move seen as reciprocal to the government's weeklong truce, the LRA on Friday announced a ceasefire in its 16-year-old rebellion. The LRA has been fighting government forces since 1988 and the group is renowned for its brutality against civilians, killing and maiming hundreds of thousands of people, displacing 1.6 million others and abducting thousands of children for forced recruitment into rebel ranks or sex slaves to rebel commanders.