AFRICA/UGANDA - Pressure increases to bring government and rebels back to the negotiating table

Saturday, 3 March 2007

Kampala (Agenzia Fides)- There is increasing pressure to convince the Ugandan government and the Lord’s resistance Army rebels LRA to resume peace talks since the recent expiry of a cease fire agreed in August 2006 (see Fides 28 February 2007).
The Ugandan parliament has passed a resolution calling the parties to continue to respect the cease fire and to resume peace talks.
In the United States democrat congressman Donald Payne said he would present the House of Representatives with a resolution to call the parties to resume negotiations. “Unless peace talks are resumed quickly we can be sure that hostilities will - he said. “I think we must concentrate on trying to convince the governments in the region to cooperate”.
A similar resolution presented by republican Senator Sam Brownback from Kansas and democratic Senator Russell Feingold from Wisconsin was approved by the US Senate yesterday 2 March.
Congressman Payne took part in a organised by the United States Institute of Peace and Enough initiative. Speakers said the war in Uganda could be quickly ended of the international community makes a greater effort. “There is no need for billions of dollars to US troops on the spot, all we need is for the United States to take the diplomatic initiative to end one of the world’s most horrible wars” said John Prendergast of International Crisis Group and independent research group on international questions.
Former Ugandan minister Betty Bigombe who worked hard to promote talks with the LRA (see Fides 24, 27, 30 November 2004 and 13 December 2004) and studied at the United States Institute of Peace said firm diplomatic initiative and strong support from the international community are determinant to restore peace in northern Uganda. Mrs Bigombe expressed appreciation for the efforts of the Acholi leaders (the region’s principal ethnic group to which most of the victims belong), who are meeting to discuss initiatives to foster a resuming of talks.
Al least 100,000 have been killed in the war in Northern Uganda and 1.6 million, practically the entire population, have been forced to abandon homes and farm land, and live in refugee camps without even the bare necessities to survive often targeted by LRA raiders. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 3/3/2007 righe 35 parole 431)


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