Set a deadline for
northern peace
Thursday, 6th September, 2007
This week, the US assistant Secretary of State
for African Affairs, Dr. Jendayi Fraser, has called for the setting of a deadline for the peace agreement with the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) to be signed.
The Juba peace talks between the Government and the LRA have been on since July last year and the progress has been painfully slow. The LRA’s disjointed negotiation strategy does not make it any easier for forward movement to be made.
In the meantime, taking advantage for the 12-month cessation of hostilities, people have started streaming out of the displaced peoples’ camps and returning to their homes.
The progress was initially hesitant as the army cautioned a wait-and-see approach to monitor the security situation, but the flow has steadily increased in recent months.
However, the specter of the LRA resuming civilian attacks without notice is holding back full-scale development the kind of which would cement the uneasy peace.
After 9/11, the LRA has found itself isolated. This has degraded their ability to wage war and has seen them ejected from their previously safe bastions in southern Sudan. They are now holed up in Eastern Congo.
Since
northern Uganda descended into
conflict nearly 20 years ago this is probably the best chance we have had for peace.
The LRA are tucked out of harm’s way. Khartoum already in danger of diplomatic sanction for its handling of the Dafur crisis, is not risking any overt assistance. The LRA have been internationally ostracized and for the first time in a long time the Ugandan military has only one conflict to focus its energies.
After 20 years of war, nobody is in a hurry to make any rush moves and that is as it should be. But Northern Uganda is ripe for a breakout of peace.
It is, therefore, critical that peace is arrived at sooner than later so that people of the region can get their lives back.