Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army's ( LRA) rebels second-in-command, Vincent Otti, has vowed to fight anyone attempting to execute the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants against him or any of the rebel top leadership, Daily Monitor's report on Friday.

"The ICC is the greatest obstacle in all that I see. And unless they (warrants) are withdrawn, we shall not leave here for anywhere," Otti was quoted as saying. "I am ready to defend myself with the weapon I have right now in my hand against anyone who will attempt to come to arrest us here," he added.

The ICC issued arrest warrants for rebel leader Joseph Kony, his deputy Otti and three other top commanders to answer for the war crimes they committed in northern Uganda where their 20-year- old rebellion had left tens of thousands of people dead and over 1. 4 million others homeless.

Despite promises of a blanket amnesty by the government, the rebels had vowed not to sign a final peace agreement at the ongoing peace negotiations in Juba, southern Sudan until the ICC drops its charges.

While Otti expressed outrage over reports that the government had written a confidential letter to the ICC urging the global tribunal to marshal support in having its arrest warrants for the rebels executed, Capt. Paddy Ankunda, the government peace team publicist, scoffed at the accusation.

"There is no such plan and if they are trying to use this as an excuse not to engage in talks, I don't think they will win," said Ankunda.

"Our commitment to talk to them and protect them is not in question. They'd better take advantage of that and come out of the bush," he added.

The Ugandan government insists that it can only engage the ICC to drop the charges only when the rebels sign a final peace deal.

While these disparities continue to rage on and drag the negotiations, both parties have continued to maintain open channels of communication at the peace talks.

Source: Xinhua