By Tim Cocks KAMPALA, Dec 16 (Reuters) - The Ugandan government and Lord's Resistance Army rebels extended a landmark truce until the end of February, the rebels said on Saturday. Peace talks between the two sides resumed in the southern Sudanese capital Juba on Thursday, three weeks after the LRA walked out, accusing the Ugandan army of ambushing their fighters in violation of an August truce. Despite mistrust and accusations of violations on both sides, the ceasefire has largely held, raising hopes for an end to 20 years of civil war which could allow 1.4 million refugees to return home. "This is an extension of the agreement we already made," LRA spokesman Obonyo Olweny said by satellite phone from Juba. "It's a sign of progress because it shows the peace talks are still in force." Negotiators for the government were not immediately available for comment. The ceasefire requires LRA forces to assemble in two places in southern Sudan while talks continue. The rebels missed two earlier deadlines for gathering in the agreed areas. They said the Ugandan army was deploying aggressively around them every time they tried. Independent monitors found both sides had violated the truce, the army by opening fire on the LRA, the LRA by wandering hundreds of miles from the agreed assembly areas. The latest renewal gives the LRA a further month to gather from the date of signing. But neither side expects to make substantial progress towards a final deal anytime soon. "The cessation of hostilities is just the start. The sticking points are the other substantive issues still in the agenda," Olweny said. Rebel demands include a federal system of government giving the north more autonomy and compensation for cattle allegedly looted from northerners by President Yoweri Museveni's fighters when he seized power in a 1986 coup. Some fear the LRA leaders will never quit their hideouts on the Sudan-Congo border to sign a deal unless the International Criminal Court drops arrest warrants against them. LRA leader Joseph Kony and his top four commanders are wanted by the Hague-based tribunal for war crimes such as killing civilians, slicing lips and noses off victims, and abducting children to use as fighters and sex slaves.
