Kacoke Madit 1998 (Km98) Resolutions

Preamble

We, the Acholi from Uganda and the Diaspora, attending the Kacoke Madit at Queen Mary and Westfield College, London, United Kingdom, this 19th day of July, 1998:

CONSIDERING the reports and presentations made by participants from Uganda, the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, Southern Africa, the United States of America, Canada and other parts of the world concerning the ongoing conflict in Acholi,

NOTE with deep concern the continuous killings, maiming and abductions being perpetrated in Acholiland and the neighbouring districts of Apac, Lira and Adjumani by elements of the Lord's Resistance Army, and failure of the Government of Uganda to provide adequate protection to the people and their property,

FURTHER NOTE with deep concern the heartless and manipulative role being played by certain foreign powers, non-governmental organisations and individuals who have vested interest in the perpetuation of the conflict.

CONCERNED that the Government of Uganda the LRA/LRM have failed to appreciate the futility of war as a means of resolving conflict.

FURTHER CONCERNED about the adverse, debilitating effects of the ongoing conflict on the social, economic and cultural fabric of the Acholi society,

AWARE of the key role which the Government of Uganda and the Leadership of the LRA/LRM must of necessity play in seeking a workable formula for resolving the conflict

MINDFUL of the need to involve all parties and all stakeholders in the quest for a truly inclusive and comprehensive solution

COGNISANT of the key role played by women in conflict resolution and in fostering social, economic and cultural development

FURTHER AWARE of the fact that peace has been achieved and is being achieved through dialogue in several major conflicts world-wide,

MINDFUL of the need to bring the conflict to a speedy end so as to bring the suffering of the people, particularly women and children to an end,

RE-AFFIRM our concern that the conflict in Acholiland should be ended expeditiously, through peaceful means

THEREFORE we do now resolve and declare as follows;

  1. Call upon the Government of Uganda to declare Acholiland a 'Disaster Zone' in order to pave the way for the international community to respond urgently to the humanitarian needs of the people living in the protected camps in Gulu and Kitgum districts,

  2. Call upon the government of Uganda to adhere to its constitutional responsibility to protect the lives and property of all its citizens,

  3. Call upon the Government of Uganda and the Leadership of the LRA/LRM to declare an immediate cease-fire and enter into dialogue, if necessary with the facilitation of a third party

  4. Appeal to the LRM/LRA to immediately stop abductions, killings and destruction of property and release all persons in captivity

  5. Appeal to the Government of the United Kingdom, as a traditional friend of Uganda, the governments of all European countries, the USA, and Canada to use their influence to assist the Government of Uganda and the LRA/LRM to pursue a negotiated settlement to the armed conflict,

  6. Urge the Parliament of Uganda to revisit its decision of March 1997 regarding the use of military force as a means of resolving the conflict,

  7. Recognise with encouragement, the communications that have taken place between the LRA and the government of Uganda, in response to the Kacoke Madit 1997 resolutions, and urge the two parties to pursue further measures to resolve the conflict by peaceful means,

  8. Call upon the Government of Uganda to seek every possible avenues to normalise the strained diplomatic relation with the Government of the Sudan,

  9. Call upon the Acholi community and all Ugandans to promote peace, forgiveness and reconciliation, and to embrace measures that will promote unity and national reconciliation,

  10. Empower the Acholi Parliamentary Group (APG) to co-ordinate the formation of task forces in Uganda and in other regions of the world by September 1998, to implement the KM98 resolutions,

  11. Re-affirm our commitment to the resolutions of Kacoke Madit of April, 1997.

19 th July 1998
Kacoke Madit
Queen Mary and Westfield College
Mile End Road
London E1 4NS

 

Kacoke Madit, 173 Upper Street, London N1 1RG, UK
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