To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of the status of the peace negotiations with the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) is; what recent reports he has received of countries where the LRA is active; and if he will make a statement. (292433)

The Government of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) agreed a peace settlement, the Final Peace Agreement (FPA), in April 2008 after almost two years of negotiations mediated by the Government of Southern Sudan. However the LRA has yet to honour its commitment to sign the final peace agreement.

The LRA are known to be operating in Southern Sudan, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Government regularly discuss LRA activity with the Government of Uganda, and stress the importance of both continued regional cooperation to deal with the threat and protecting civilian populations from LRA attacks.

At the recent UN General Assembly Ministerial week, my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Ivan Lewis) discussed the LRA with Ugandan Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa. Our posts in Kampala, Juba, Khartoum, Yaounde and Kinshasa continue to monitor the situation closely, and have raised the issue with other interested parties, including the UN.