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12th December 2004 No 81 1. IRIN: Historic opportunity for northern peace process - UN [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]KAMPALA - The current efforts to resolve the 18-year conflict in northern Uganda is "a historic opportunity to end the country's humanitarian emergency", the UN emergency relief coordinator and the under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, Jan Egeland, said. Egeland commended Ugandan government efforts to end, through dialogue, the conflict with the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in northern Uganda, which has displaced over 1.6 million people. "This is a historic opportunity to bring to an end one of the worst humanitarian emergencies in the world," a press statement issued by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on Wednesday, quoted Egeland as saying after a meeting with President Yoweri Museveni in the Ugandan capital, Kampala. Ugandan foreign ministry officials told IRIN that Museveni expressed his willingness to work closely with the UN in moving Uganda's reconciliation process forward. This would include the UN assisting post-conflict programmes and integration of ex-rebels back into society. "They discussed mechanisms of integrating former LRA rebels into society, the reconciliation process and what the UN will do to help," foreign affairs permanent secretary, Julius Onen, told IRIN. OCHA said the Ugandan leader welcomed the UN offer and that the re-integration of former LRA fighters would be done through a program of assistance, education and job creation. "He [President Museveni] also welcomed the UN offer of contributing to a wider process of principled reconciliation," it noted. In anticipation of a potential breakthrough in peace talks with the LRA, OCHA added, the UN had started to plan for the voluntary return of internally displaced persons. The LRA has fought the Ugandan government in a violent campaign that has killed thousands of people. The rebels have also abducted thousands of children for forcible recruitment into the rebel army. The girls are turned into sex slaves for the commanders. Recent efforts to end the conflict peacefully have been spearheaded by a former Ugandan minister, Betty Bigombe. The government has consequently decided to observe a limited ceasefire until 15 December to allow Bigombe and other elders from the region to convince the rebels to lay down their weapons. 2. Monitor: Bigombe leads Acholi chiefs to meet LRA GULU - Former Minister of State for Pacification of the North, Ms Betty Bigombe, yesterday led a team of Acholi chiefs and elders to meet face-to-face with the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) commanders. Bigombe is the chief mediator between government and the LRA. The meeting with the rebels is expected to take place in Palabek, which comprises Kall, Gem and Ogili sub-counties. The Acholi traditional chief, Rwot David Onen-Acana II, and at least 10 traditional chiefs and elders were part of the peace delegation. Bigombe told The Monitor by telephone yesterday, that she and the chiefs were already on the way to meet the LRA. She declined to name the other leaders who accompanied her, nor the exact location of the meeting. The UPDF Spokesman for Northern Region, Lt. Paddy Ankunda, announced yesterday that the ceasefire had been extended to December 15. The second extension of the ceasefire expired yesterday. The meeting between the LRA and Acholi chiefs and elders is one of the key demands the rebels had presented as a pre-condition for meaningful talks with the government. Gulu LC5 Chairman, Lt. Col. Walter Ochora, said he would later in the afternoon travel to meet Bigombe at Palabek Kall trading centre before she could meet the LRA. "This is a very delicate and complicated process. We don't want to jeopardise it. I may not attend the meeting though I would be at Palabek Kall," Ochora told The Monitor. A member of the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative, who declined to be named, said the LRA does not trust the food supplied by the World Food Programme. "There is enough food to supply them here in Gulu, but the rebels can't accept it. They fear they would be poisoned. We need to build trust first," he said 3. Sunday Vision: LRA wants to meet cleric THE Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels want to meet either political or religious leaders from Acholi this week, former State Minister for northern Uganda pacification, Betty Bigombe has said. "The LRA are asking to meet one group of Acholi leaders at a time, the next meeting will be either with religious leaders or the political wing. The rebels want to learn from different groups of people as a means of confidence building," said Bigombe. The chief peace talks mediator told a reconciliation conference at Gulu Support the Children Organisation hall on Friday that the recent meeting between the LRA high command and the Acholi clan leaders was well attended by the rebels. She said all LRA commanders attended the meeting. An unconfirmed reports said eight LRA brigadiers, including other high-ranking LRA commanders attended the meeting with the cultural leaders and the elders at Palabek in Kitgum. Bigombe said the LRA leadership was committed to the peace talks. She said they wanted to end the conflict so that people living in the IDP camps can go back to their homes. 4. Monitor: End northern war, Mirren tells govt KAMPALA - Celebrated British Hollywood actress, Ms Dame Helen Mirren, has called for immediate intervention of the international communities and the government to end the Kony war. " I don't have an idea of the scale of the unfolding crisis. This war has been forgotten by the world .It is a war that has specifically targeted children who are paying the greatest price," Mirren said. She was addressing a press conference at Speke Hotel on Saturday. Mirren said all sides need to take brave steps toward ending the war. Mirren, 59, has been in Uganda on the invitation of Oxfam Great Britain and the Civil Society Network for Peace in Northern Uganda (CSOPNU). She ended her tour of the region on Friday. She visited Internally Displaced Persons in Kitgum camps and met former abductees, peace campaigners, and night commuters. "The war has gone on for too long and unfortunately, it is not yet over. The people I met are still living every day without any protection. Children are still too scared to sleep at home," Mirren said. She left on Sunday, but said she would meet parliamentarians in Britain to discuss a peaceful solution to the war. The chairperson of CSOPNU and National Programme Coordinator of Uganda Child Rights Network, Ms Stella Odongo, said the social welfare given to the displaced people should go beyond what organisations provide. She said the northern war should not be considered as a small internal issue which Uganda can deal with single handedly. The Oxfam Country Programme Manager, Mr Emma Naylor, described the war as a rebellion with no clear agenda. The 18-year-old war has left many lives lost and a lot of property destroyed. 5. Monitor: Govt to make more concessions to Kony KAMPALA - Government is willing to give LRA rebels time to name their demands and move on with the peace talks after the extended ceasefire expires on December 15. The State Minister for Security, Ms Betty Akech revealed Thursday that government hopes that by the time the ceasefire expires at 7a.m. on December 15, the LRA would have come up with a list of demands and a team for the peace talks with government. "We expect this will take at least two weeks," she told journalists in Nakasero. Akech said many rebel commanders were willing to negotiate a peaceful settlement to the conflict, except the LRA leader Joseph Kony. She said among key rebels pushing for talks were Kony deputies; Vincent Otti, Sam Kolo and Dominic Ongwen. Asked why Kony had shown less enthusiasm, Akech said, "What can I say? All of us are still asking ourselves why." 6. Opinion - Observer: Double standards made in the West Some people here, some of who are Uganda's friends from other countries, have been trying to build and propagate a culture of double standards when especially it comes to economic management of our families, communities and Uganda as whole. As if that is not bad enough, they present themselves as consultants on how to manage our conflicts without even consulting the conflicting groups about the causes and intricacies of the conflict. Of course, all efforts to resolve conflict, especially political and armed conflicts, are always a welcome gesture. But self-appointed conflict managers, who go in for job creation and employment for themselves, are really treacherous. Everyone remembers that government officials, especially the President, have had to contend with diplomats who have dived into active politics, sponsoring and officiating at mini rallies, the so-called seminars, workshops or conferences. Some have even gone ahead to make undiplomatic statements and take political positions for or against the host governments. This financial year, diplomats even threatened to "REJECT" the government's budgetary proposals. The President hit back saying that if sovereignty was anything real, then only the Ugandan Parliament could reject the budget. The rest of what happened is history, but the two protagonists had made their points loud and clear. Now, another opportunity was getting lost to them when the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) conflict was waning and fizzling out of existence through the use of three (but effectively two) concurrent methods of resolving the conflict. The first method was (is) continued UPDF military operations, the second was (is) the Amnesty Law through which captured LRA and those who surrender are pardoned, while the third, but so far non-effective method, was (is) peace talks with LRA. The latter is now what the diplomats, some local political opportunists, donors and NGOs have decided to use, emphasize, support and advocate so that when finally LRA is over, then they can also lay a claim to the euphoria and glory of victory arrived at through all these means. Yes. This is of course noble. But my quarrel with them is the application of double standards to these situations. These Western countries' interests are, of course, always at the centre of whatever decisions they make in given situations. And they are 100 percent right! How could they decide, behave or act otherwise? Even an amoeba has, knows, seeks and defends its interests, unicellular as it is. It is only our fault, we who are not able to identify with and defend our collective interests as a people. Some people tend to limit this opportunistic tendency to Africans. That is a half-truth. The recent Ukrainian elections have the latest lessons for us. When a pro-Russia candidate wins, those who did everything and invested in the collapse of the Soviet Union, do all they can, including instigation of voters, against the result. Now we hear they will repeat the election, whose result you and I should wait to see. In Iraq, when Saddam Hussein was no longer a valuable and necessary trump card in the Middle East Western interests, and was even daring to take unilateral decisions unfavourable to the world power relations, he had to be got rid of using intelligence information that has now become INTELLIGENCE FORMATION. Back home in Uganda, an editor-in-chief of a media house is very uncomfortable with some of us telling the truth about LRA activities in the open, which is not favourable to the peace talks option and the President's magnanimous and unilateral ceasefires and their extensions. Diplomats and donors have been pushing government for the peace talks, and yet they do less pushing against Joseph Kony to seize the opportunity so that we create a win-win rather than win-lose situation. So, pushing only one side in the LRA Vs government conflict, supporting the coalition in Iraq, supporting the cancellation of elections in Ukraine, and not urging Western countries to talk with Al Qaeda, is tantamount to subjecting the poor, the weak to blackmail (or is it white-mail?) rather than championing the high sounding values of democracy, human rights, justice, international law, and transparent governance. Unless and until we identify ourselves with our collective interests as a people, we shall continue to be divided and ruled by pretenders and masqueraders who only represent interests other than our own. The author is UPDF/Ministry of Defence spokesman (a) Rupiny: Chiefs receive
vehicle The Irish Government has fulfilled its promise to donate a car to Acholi chiefs. Acholi chiefs were very happy last week to receive the new double cabin pick -up to facilitate their movement. The vehicle registration is UAF 830W is currently being used by the Paramount Chief of Acholi Rwot Onen David Acana II. (b) Rupiny: Women and Children's
Groups receive computer, fax Acholi Women and Children's Welfare (AWACHWO) organisations has donated three computers and three fax machines to three groups of women in Gulu. The computer systems are complete with telephone and scanners. They were handed over to Watemo Lapainat, Gulu Women Empowerment Network ki Okwany can on 1.1.2.2004 Centre project manager Mr. Anywar Obonyo received these equipment from Mr. Opiyo Lukone who is the coordinator for AWACHWO based in Kampala. The equipment is intended to improve communication and increase the skills and productivity of the women and children's groups. 8. Society, Culture and Camp news Paramount chiefs of Acholi and Lango have recommended following a three days meeting held in Acholi Inn in Gulu, that the Government should give ample time for a cease fire between LRA and UPDF. The chiefs also unanimously supported government's amnesty to the rebels. (b) IRIN: Spare the women and children, UN agency urges GULU - Uganda's government must do what it can to protect children and women from violence, while the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) must immediately and unconditionally stop abducting, killing and exploiting Uganda's children, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Thursday. "Children are being killed and raped in Uganda," UNICEF's resident representative Martin Mugwanja said during the national launch of the agency's State of the World's Children 2005 report, entitled "Childhood Under Threat", in the northern town of Gulu. "Childhood is being destroyed. "First and foremost, I appeal to the LRA to immediately and unconditionally stop the abduction, killing and exploitation of children," he added. "These acts are not only unconscionable, but are also flagrant violations of the childrenęs right to life." The LRA has targeted children throughout the 18-year war, forcibly recruiting boys to fight amongst its ranks and forcing girls to become sex slaves for its commanders. Relief agencies estimate that up to 20,000 children have been abducted across northern Uganda. "Many of us were forcefully given out as wives to rebel commanders," Florence Adokorach, a 21-year-old mother who bore four children during her 12 years as a rebel captive, said during the launch. "We risked contracting sexually transmitted disease because we did not know these people, but we had nothing to do as we feared for our lives. This produced a high number of child mothers, but again, we had to fight to get what to eat or what to wear." UNICEF said that in the district of Gulu alone, an estimated 840 abducted girls returned home this year. About thirty 30 percent had already become mothers. "But even at home, we are faced with numerous problems," Adokorach added. "We have children without their fathers and even ourselves - we have no parents." Lili Amono, 25, who also spent 12 years in captivity, did not see a future for herself and her child. "I see problems ahead because we have no adult to take care of us," she said after narrating her life in captivity and memories of her friends who died in the bush. "We ask that you give us more hope that the future will be bright." Others who testified include the so-called night commuters, some of the tens of thousands of children who leave their homes every night fearing possible abduction or attacks by the LRA rebels. "Girls have faced numerous sexual harassment," one female teenager said. "We are tied of the war. We appeal to the government and the rebels to end this war. "Childhood implies a distinct period of life in which children can grow in health and safety," Mugwanja noted after the testimonies. "Childhood refers not only to an irreplaceable time of individual human growth, but to the quality of those years. And yet childhood in Uganda today is under threat. HIV/AIDS is posing a lethal assault on children and childhood [in general]." The war in northern Uganda has targeted children and has displaced hundreds of thousands of them. "UNICEF and its partners draw attention to the right of all Ugandan children to live in an environment in which access to basic health services, education, safe water, shelter and other essential services is unhindered," the UNICEF official urged. "Parties on both sides of the conflict must respect and fulfil this right." The Ugandan minister in charge of children, Felix Okot Ogong, pledged his government's commitment to end the war and promised that an end might even be on the horizon, referring to peace efforts between the government and the rebels. "We are very committed to ending this war," Ogong said. "It should have ended yesterday, but we hope that this end is near. Poverty levels have reduced from about 60 percent to about 30 percent in ten years, though unfortunately, the poverty levels in northern Uganda have, instead, gone up to around 70 percent." 9. Counting
the weekly reported human costs of the war*
Sources: New Vision, Monitor, BBC, IRIN, Rupiny, MEGA FM, Simba FM, The Uganda Weekly Observer Note: G= Gulu, K= Kitgum,
P= Pader; L=LRA, U= UPDA & LDU, O= Others |
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