allAfrica.com * Country, Congo Plan LRA Attack The Monitor (Kampala) NEWS 17 December 2007 Posted to the web 17 December 2007 By Frank Nyakairu Kampala Uganda and her vast neighbour DR Congo have started drawing military strategies against the rebel Lords Resistance Army group, a move that could chock the ongoing peace talks. This comes at a time when a US-based think tank, The Centre for American Progress, has suggested to the Uganda government to develop "leverage by devising a fallback military strategy." In the sidelines of a three-day bi-lateral conference in Kampala, Uganda's defense and military chiefs and Congolese government officials agreed on a joint military operation against Joseph Kony's group that is currently hiding in the northeastern Congolese jungle of Garamba. "The Congolese authorities are going to give us a security plan which they will execute if Kony does not turn up and conclude the talks in Juba, Uganda's defense Minister Crispus Kiyonga told reporters on Saturday. "We did not go into further details but that was the bottom-line; that Kony either comes and we conclude the talks or the Congolese authorise us to go after him," he said adding: "The DRC minister for defence and I will meet in January in Beni to look into this plan and agree." The Congolese Government, which is still battling rebels in its lawless north-eastern part, has given the LRA up to January 31, 2008 to leave its land. The rebels were yesterday infuriated by the developments, saying the Uganda Government is violating the cessation of hostilities agreement. "We don't know why the government is continuing to violate the cessation of hostilities agreement we signed in Juba. We agreed that hostile propaganda and threats must cease," said LRA lead negotiator Martin Ojul. The LRA negotiators are in Kampala after doing consultations on how to deal with atrocities committed during the 20-year war. The rebels said they were scheduled to meet President Museveni today after repeatedly rescheduling the appointment from Tuesday last week. "We hope we shall meet the President tomorrow (today) and we shall raise this issue with him," Mr Ojul added. A ministerial report compiled by both Congolese and Ugandan ministers said the final plans of an anti-LRA move would be discussed in the next three weeks. "The DRC informed the Ugandan side that in conformity with the decisions of the Ngurdoto, Tanzania Agreement, the action plan to fight negative forces had been formulated in consultation with Monuc and it will be presented to the meeting of defense and security ministers in Beni in the second half of January 2008.," said a ministerial report seen by Daily Monitor. "DRC also recalled the arresting and transfer to Uganda of a number of LRA leaders and elements. The two delegations commended the arrest and transfer of LRA leaders and elements by DRC to Uganda," the report reads in part. The US-based Center for American Progress on Friday released a report in which it has advised the Uganda Government to develop Plan B. "Both a clear carrot and a strong stick are necessary to bring Kony out of the bush." "The current process lacks a credible backup plan to apprehend the LRA leadership should talks fall apart and countries willing to apply this leverage," it said. Joseph Kony and three of his rebel commanders are wanted by the Hague-based International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity but the rebels have vowed never to sign a final peace deal unless Kampala can persuade the tribunal to drop the case - something analysts say is unlikely. "While a credible Plan B military strategy is developed to give leverage to a diplomatic or legal solution, it is crucial that the United States and others should not endorse a premature declaration of failure of diplomacy in order to make room for a military approach that has little chance of succeeding without sufficient preparation," the report said. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 2007 The Monitor. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------