Sudanese Foreign Minister Lam Akol said here Thursday that his government is "ready to mediate" between the Ugandan government and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) .

Akol told a press conference that Khartoum is ready to play a mediation role if requested, adding that "the real will to seek a solution is in the hands' of the two conflicting sides of the Ugandan government and the LRA."

He reiterated that the existence of the LRA in the Sudanese land is unacceptable, calling on the Sudan-based rebel movement to seek a peace agreement with the Ugandan government.

Since 2002, the Ugandan troops, under a protocol signed by Uganda and Sudan, have been engaged in operations against the LRA rebels who use their bases in southern Sudan to attack Uganda.

For the last 19 years, LRA rebels have been fighting the government, killing tens of thousands of people and displacing over 1.4 million people.

The Sudanese minister also urged the LRA to withdraw from Sudan if they fail to settle the dispute with the Ugandan government; otherwise, the Sudanese government is responsible for protecting its lands and forcing out any foreign forces.

Source: Xinhua