By Francis Kwera

KAMPALA, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Ugandan rebels appealed to the security forces on Monday not to launch operations against their positions as a government deadline for a peace deal nears.

Uganda's government has given Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) leader Joseph Kony until Jan. 31 to sign a deal or risk a return to war. Military chiefs from Uganda and neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo began drawing up strategies against the LRA on Sunday.

The rebel appeal comes ahead of the planned resumption of peace talks on Wednesday.

"We are appealing to President Yoweri Museveni not to attack any LRA positions because that will jeopardize the talks," LRA spokesman David Nyekorach-Matsanga told Reuters.

"We also ask (Congolese) President Joseph Kabila not to contradict his policy of supporting the peace process ... A military offensive will be a blatant violation of the cessations of hostilities agreement we signed," he said.

Kony's 20-year rebellion killed tens of thousands of people and uprooted 2 million before a ceasefire last year.

Uganda's government has accused LRA rebels of regrouping over the border in Congo ahead of the planned resumption of talks in the South Sudanese capital of Juba.

PEACE PACT

A security source in Kampala, who declined to be named, said a group of more than 60 LRA soldiers had recently also been seen crossing into southern Sudan to access arms caches buried there.

The LRA denied regrouping.

"What do they mean when they say that we are re-arming or regrouping?" Matsanga said. "This is not true at all. All our fighters have been in their camp and none of them has moved."

He said a comprehensive peace agreement was near and that the LRA was ready to start negotiating a permanent ceasefire. He said Kony had asked civilians in refugee camps in northern Uganda to go home, promising there would be no more fighting.

The LRA has made any peace deal dependent on International Criminal Court indictments being dropped against Kony and two of his commanders for crimes against humanity and war crimes. (Editing by Nick Tattersall)

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