Big Changes In Northern Uganda

The Lords Resistance Army (LRA) a Northern Ugandan terrorist gorilla movement that claims to have a political agenda has disrupted the economy, family life and future of the region is negotiating with the Ugandan government to disband. If this 20 year long debacle could be resolved it would do wonders for the lives of thousands of Ugandans and Sudanese living in IDP camps. There are thousands of others whose lives are disrupted by this tragedy who daily work their farms in the villages but retreat to the safety of the cities to spend the night. Is there hope that change will soon occur?

The LRA keeps changing its stance, it had promised to sign a final agreement to end fighting in the north once peace talks with the government are concluded, but said its leaders would remain in hiding until the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants are lifted “Our delegation will sign an agreement, but we shall stay where we are until the warrants are withdrawn," said Vincent Otti, LRA deputy commander, in a phone-in radio program on Wednesday by satellite telephone from southern Sudan.” Now it is saying that there will be no signing until the ICC lifts the warrants.

Ugandan government spokesman Robert Kabushenga is reported saying that it is not realistic to expect the ICC to lift the indictments before a peace deal is reached and the LRA leadership comes out of the bush. He recently said, "We can't go to the ICC to start negotiations until these people sign an agreement and come home. The ICC will not entertain any discussion with us until we assure them that there will be accountability as far as the people who committed atrocities in the LRA are concerned."
Some have observed the obvious that “Kony and Otti want a deal for personal security that shields them from prosecution.” The debate is do you allow all the atrocities go un-avenged in order to prevent future atrocities. Some say yes, others say the charges are too serious to be able to overlook them. Child kidnapping, turning young boys into soldiers, young girls into sex slaves, killing the ones who get sick or are too weak to meet their demands; chopping off the lips and ears of people just for the sake of creating terror in the hearts of the people of northern Uganda.

The LRA is definitely sending mixed signals that are confusing those trying to make this opportunity to bring an end to their terror in Northern Uganda and Southern Sudan. "I was pleased that the LRA have promised to release non-combatants and other abductees - women and children," Jan Egeland, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said in the southern Sudanese town of Juba on Monday. "The United Nations will help the released captives to rejoin their families in south Sudan, northern and eastern Uganda."

One thing that has resulted from the process is that security has improved in Northern Uganda Southern Sudan. If this can become a permanent condition this region will flourish. Rural and small town Africa has enough challenges for its citizens they don’t need the added weight of suffering that they have experienced for the last 20 years.

Please pray that all the complicated obstacles to the finalization of the peace talks between the government of Uganda and the LRA will result in a real, lasting and just settlement of this long lasting conflict.

Source IRIN BBC SudanNewsNet