The former chairperson of the Lord's Resistance Army peace team, David Nyekorach Matsanga, has urged Joseph Kony to take the opportunity given to him to sign a comprehensive peace agreement with the Ugandan government.
Speaking on phone from Harare in Zimbabwe, Matsanga told the Gulu-based radio station Mega FM yesterday evening, that if Kony missed this chance at making peace, the international community may not be lenient towards him again. He warned that Kony may suffer the same fate as the former Angola warlord Jonas Savimbi who was killed in combat by Angolan government troops and mercenaries from South African and Israel.
Last month Joseph Kony sacked Matsanga as the leader of the LRA peace team over still unclear reasons. Sources within the LRA camp blame Matsanga for failing to communicate with Kony and being more interested in money than peace.
During the interview on Mega FM yesterday, Matsanga denied these claims. He said he has recordings of everything he discussed with Kony including the provisions for justice and reconciliation in which a provision of the prosecution of LRA fighters in special courts is guaranteed. He threatened to make the documents public to prove that he did his job.
Matsanga contended that Kony was misled by a group of Acholi living in the Diaspora and some members of the peace team who were interested in making money off the peace deal. He said he may consider returning to lead the LRA peace team if invited by Kony.
David Matsanga was the second LRA peace team leader to be sacked by Joseph Kony. The first team leader, Martin Ojul, was also sacked following claims of misuse of funds, although none of the facts confirming this have ever been made public.
Matsanga was replaced by James Obita.
Talks to end the LRA insurgency stalled on April 10th when Kony declined to show up to sign the final peace agreement. He claimed to have been unaware that he was due to sign the peace deal and insisted that he had traveled to Southern Sudan to hold consultations on justice mechanisms including use of the traditional reconciliation courts and the arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court.
