Uganda: North Wants Museveni, Kony At Juba Talks
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New Vision (Kampala)
October 7, 2006
Posted to the web October 9, 2006
Posted to the web October 9, 2006
Henry Mukasa
Kampala
Kampala
THE people of northern Uganda want President Yoweri Museveni and LRA leader, Joseph Kony
in Juba, Southern Sudan, to participate in face-to-face talks.
According to a report by Peace Soldiers, a 15-man team of northern leaders, the communities affected by the rebellion have also overwhelmingly resolved to forgive the rebels for their atrocities. The 37-page report on community mobilisation in support of the talks between September 8 and 13, was presented to mediators on Thursday evening.
The mediators also watched a video of the rallies at which views were collected, and listened to testimonies from the war-affected people of Acholi, Lango, Teso, Karamoja and Bunyoro.
"President Museveni should attend the peace talks and negotiate with the LRA leader, Joseph Kony, face-to-face," the report says. "There is overwhelming support for the current peace
process - there is a big thirst for peace and development ," it adds.
Internal Affairs Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda heads the Government team to the Juba negotiations, while Martin Ojul is chairman of the LRA negotiating team.
Sources said that after watching the video, chief mediator Dr. Riek Machar said, "Now I have evidence that the people support the process."
Pader District chairman Peter O'dok W'Ocheng headed the mobilisation team, while former Woman MP Santa Okot was co-ordinator.
A Kampala-based think tank, the Africa Leadership Institute, offered research assistance.
The report said the people unconditionally forgave the LRA and quoted a resident who said, "People are ready to do anything for peace, even anointing Kony as saint."
They said for a conflict that has raged for 20 years, it was
difficult to apportion blame, because it takes two to tango.
Rejecting the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a solution to the conflict, the people they touted the mat oput (Acholi), kayo chuk (Lango) and apuchumur (Teso) traditional cleansing ceremonies as alternative traditional mechanisms of justice and reconciliation.
While there was massive support for the peace process, people were worried that Kony and his men could may be 'buying time' as they have done before. They demanded that as a gesture of commitment to the peace, the LRA should release a batch of non-combatants (women and children).
The people cautioned that scary messages directed towards the LRA - like the ICC indictments - would dissuade the rebels from a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
"It's important to determine the invisible supporters of the LRA and Joseph Kony, in order to find lasting peace. The war might have ended earlier but it is said that some were benefiting from the war. It's recommended that there should be a fixed time frame within which the peace process should be concluded, preferably a maximum of two months (or less)," the report states.
It recommends greater involvement of women on both peace teams and that the youth in camps, who have missed out on education, be catered for in comprehensive
solutions.
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