Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Gulu (Fides Service) - There are parts of the world where the UN International Day for Peace, celebrated yesterday 21 September, is deeply significant. These are places where war still takes its tragic toll of death and destruction, where people struggle to hope and to survive. This is the case in northern Uganda, where for 18 years the Lord’s Resistance Army rebels LRA have harassed the civilian population and abducted thousands of children to fight in their ranks .
In Gulu, the main city in the region of Gulu the Day for Peace Uganda was very important the Catholic Archbishop of Gulu, Archbishop John Baptist Odama told Fides. “I am on my way to celebrate a week of peace with about 35,000 people in a refugee camp” the Archbishop told Fides on the telephone. “In effect in Gulu it was decided to devote a whole week to celebrations for peace, with meetings, prayers, festivities. The week started on the 20 September” said the archbishop who has worked with the local people for years to restore peace in the region.
“People come in great numbers to take part in these initiatives, especially the children the ones who suffer most because of this terrible war ” said Archbishop Odama, who told us about the situation at the moment: “In Gulu for some time now there has been an atmosphere of relative calm. But further north in the area of Kitgum on the border between Uganda and southern Sudan where the rebels have their bases fighting continues”.
On Monday 20 September the Ugandan government announced that the chief bodyguard of Joseph Koni, LRA commander had been taken prisoner and that several guerrilla leaders had been killed during a Sudanese army raid on guerrilla bases in southern Sudan. In effect the governments of Uganda and Sudan have agreed that Ugandan troops may follow LRA rebels into Sudanese territory.
“I do not think this will mean the end of the LRA. I think the guerrilla warfare will continue until Joseph Koni surrenders or is taken captive” Archbishop Odama told Fides. “We must in any case keep on hoping for peace, praying and working to restore harmony in our land” the Archbishop of Gulu concludes.
The United Nations first decided to hold an International Day for Peace in 1981, the first one was held in 1982. In 2001 the UN decided to set the date for 21 September 21. The Catholic Church celebrates a day of peace on January 1st every year and the Popes have issued a message for peace since 1968 (first message issued by Pope Paul VI).. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 22/9/2004 righe 38 parole 462)
