Ugandan government gov´t, rebels agree to cease fire

Source: CCTV.com | 02-24-2008 10:44

The Ugandan government and the Lord's Resistance Army signed a permanent ceasefire agreement Saturday. The landmark treaty is seen as a key step to ending a two-decade-long conflict with rebels in northern Uganda.

The government negotiating team says the ceasefire will come into effect 24 hours after the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement, possibly this week.

The two sides are now discussing the demobilization, disarmament and reintegration of LRA fighters, before drafting the final peace agreement. The Ugandan government has warned it would resume military action against the rebel group if it does not sign a final peace deal by the end of this month.

The LRA's two-decade-old insurgency has left tens of thousands of people dead and over 1.4 million homeless in northern Uganda.

Editor:Zhang Ning