"They first talked to Kony. He apologised and set them free with the children."
These are the words of Cosmos Oryem as he narrated the story of the two Italians priests who were taken hostage and later freed by the LRA rebels over the weekend.
Oryem is a member of the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative (ARLPI).
He said that the widely reported abduction of aged Fr. Ponsiano Velluto and Fr. Alex Pizzi was not abduction.
"The priests first argued with the rebels over the children they wanted to take from Opit Parish," said Oryem. "When the rebels insisted, then the priests also insisted to go with the abducted lot."
The rebels are said to have run through thick bushes with their abductees up to a point where they had to communicate to their commander (Kony, a former alter boy) who negotiated with the priests and apologised and set them free with the children, Oryem said.
"They returned weary and fatigued because of age," said Oryem.
The priests are also said to have delivered a letter to Archbishop John Baptist Odama, the chairman of ARLPI.
They returned to Opit Parish on Saturday evening with unspecified number of children.