Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Gulu - Archbishop John Baptist Odama of Gulu in northern Uganda launched a call to the Ugandan government and the rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army to reach a peace agreement. The Catholic archbishop made the appeal on the occasion of the annual Holy Childhood celebration held in San Kizito, at Amuru parish, 17 km from Gulu in the new district of Amaru. In his appeal Archbishop Odama recalled that precisely children are the principal victims of the conflict between the army and notorious LRA militia in whose ranks there are numerous abducted children, made to become child soldiers. It is estimated that in 20 years of civil war in northern Uganda LRA militia abducted at least 35,000 children to fight. Archbishop Odama is chairman of the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative (ARLPI) whose members, religious leaders in the north and east of Uganda, have called for years on the parties to engage in dialogue to end the conflict. Parish priest at Amuru, Fr. Romano Ouma, said that the second largest camp of displaced persons (50,000) is in that area. In recent weeks new hopes have arisen for peace in the region. There will be time until 12 September to reach an agreement with the rebels. This was decided by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who has allowed 40 extra days to reach a cease fire with the LRA militia. Before the end of September the Ugandan parliament is due to amend the amnesty law to include LRS leader Joseph Kony, and his four captains on the list of the beneficiaries despite the fact that they are wanted by the International Penal Court IPC at the Hague. Last week Museveni offered the LRA leaders total amnesty if talks were successful. But the LRA rejected the offer, saying it was “insignificant”. In the meantime the IPC is pressing the governments of Uganda, Democratic R. Congo and Sudan to carry out international warrants for arrest. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 12/7/2006 righe 34 parole 389)
