In October 2006, the Juba Initiative Fund was established by the UN to provide financial support to the peace talks between the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) and the Government of Uganda. The UN called for £2.5 million in contributions and the UK made a contribution of £250,000. Other donors have included Canada, Sweden, the Netherlands and Norway.
The fund has been used to help pay for the running costs of the Mediation Secretariat overseeing the talks and the team that was created to monitor the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement. It was also agreed that expenditures could cover the accommodation and food costs of all the delegates at the talks, including those representing the LRA. However all these costs have been paid by the UN directly to the hotels used and no delegates have received cash payments.
The UN has recently reported to us that by the end of December 2006, it had spent approximately £1.4 million from the fund overall. We are awaiting a more detailed breakdown of expenditures which will include details on how much was spent on individual items including food and accommodation.
The LRA delegation left Juba in late December and they are currently refusing to return. They are demanding that the venue of the talks and the mediator be changed. Efforts are being made to try and persuade them to return and continue dialogue, led by UN Special Envoy Joaquim Chissano. A number of the LRA delegates are currently staying in Nairobi. The Juba Initiative Fund is not being used to finance their accommodation or living costs in Kenya.