AFRICA/UGANDA - “I am confident that peace talks between the government and the rebels will continue” says Catholic Archbishop of Odama of Gulu diocese in northern Uganda

Wednesday, 28 February 2007

Gulu (Agenzia Fides)- “I am confident that the parties will continue peace talks” said the Catholic Archbishop of Gulu diocese in northern Uganda Archbishop John Baptist Odama who is working with Acholi religious leaders to mediate to revive dialogue between the government of Kampala and the LRA Lord’s Resistance Army rebel militia group. Representatives of government and humanitarian organisations are also cooperating in this effort.
Negotiations between the Ugandan government and the LRA were interrupted in early January when the rebel leadership asked for the talks to be moved from Juba, in southern Sudan to Kenya, but Nairobi refused to play host (see Fides12 January and 7 February 2007. The LRA motivated its request with fear rising after a statement by Sudan’s president Omar Bashir, who threatened to “eliminate the LRA from Sudan”.
On the basis of agreements LRA members who accepted a cease fire gathered in camps in Sudan and in Democratic Congo. However at the end of February the rebels began to leave the camps in Sudan and were said to be heading for the border with the Central African Republic
“The first condition for peace is for the cease fire agreement which expires today 28 February to be extended” Archbishop Odama told Fides. The army has said it is willing to extend the treaty signed in August 2006 but the LRA have made statements which could imply a new outbreak of hostilities. Accusing the Ugandan authorities of using the treaty to acquire a tactical advantage in view of a final attack on the rebel movement, the vice commander of the LRA Vincent Otti told Reuters “We will not extend anything”.
However Archbishop Odama still thinks peace is possible: “I am a man of faith therefore a bearer of hope. All is not lost. With the help of the international community peace can still be saved. In this regard I would thank the UN mediator for northern Uganda, former Mozambique president Joaquim Chisano for his commitment”. Some weeks ago the Archbishop of Gulu called for a UN intervention to help resume peace talks (see Fides 17 February 2007). International observers say although not in favour of talks with the rebels, Uganda’s president Yoweri Museveni, will not continue operations against the LRA after pressure from the international community anxious to see the end of one of Africa’s longest and bloodiest wars in which tens of thousands of civilians have been killed and more than 1.5 million have been displaced. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 28/2/2007 righe 42 parole 533)


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