Uganda: Kony Talks - 'We Are Fighting for 10 Commandments'
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The Monitor (Kampala)
August 2, 2006
Posted to the web August 2, 2006
Posted to the web August 2, 2006
Frank Nyakairu and Emmanuel Gyezaho
Joseph Kony, leader of the Lords Resistance Army, held a meeting with
religious, cultural and political leaders from northern Uganda on Monday, asking the government to order a ceasefire if peace in northern Uganda is to be achieved. Daily Monitor's Frank Nyakairu recorded the statement and Emmanuel Gyezaho brings you the excerpts.
I want to thank you for being courageous to come and see me here. I want to assure you especially the Acholis that I am an Acholi like you and that is why you shouldn't have feared to come and see me here. I want to confirm to you that yes this time, I am all for peace talks with Museveni.
I have called for peace talks so that we can solve this war, which has gone on for 20 years now. There have been wars in Sierra Leone, Congo, Sudan and Liberia and all have been settled peacefully. Even other wars like this one can be settled peacefully.
Me Gen. Kony as I speak to you now, I am not a wizard who talks to spirits. If I am,
even Rwot Achana and Jimmy Akena are also that kind because I am a normal human being like them.
It is not me who begun this war. I just offered to help those who were oppressed.
To you my elders, my brothers, my sisters, my fathers and my mothers, now that you have come and seen for yourselves that I am not a monster with a tail and huge eyes, you have confirmed that I am a human being.
Now go back and tell the people of northern Uganda that I want peace. But as we sit here, I have my peace team in talks in Juba. But I am not happy with the report that they have brought.
(Diverts a little...) Ohh I can speak English by the way. But I want to stress in Acholi so that my mother and fathers can really understand. (Speaks in Acholi but LRA spokesman Obonyo Olweny translates in English for journalists)
Now this report, which has come
from Juba, is not good because the first thing, which should have been done, is the cessation of hostilities. But it wasn't done.
I want to ask you; how can we end this war? To you my fathers and mothers, sisters, and brothers, I would like you to focus on the situation in the IDP camps.
I would like your minds to focus on what we can do for this situation. I would like to assure you that I am here for you. If you have any doubts, any questions, ask me.
Security concerns
I am here so that we can find a solution to this problem.
But I am deeply concerned about your movements. I was, because there are very many reckless people who would like to destroy this chance but by God's grace, I am glad you are here. I would like to ask you.
Why is it that when talks begin, someone always comes up
with an ultimatum that by this time, talks should have ended?
Is that the way things must be? To my elders, we are your children. This war is like a game. I am giving an example of a cockfight where one might be stronger than the other but they will keep chasing after one another in the compound the whole day.
Do you want this war to be like that? If you look back, you would not have imagined you would be here.
But it is because of us. We are using every opportunity to talk peace.
This is my first lecture to you. You may add your own things but say to the people of Uganda that I want peace. One issue I would like to assure you about is the issue of amnesty, which presupposes that I lay down my arms and give in to the government of Uganda.
But you see my people here. They are very many. If I go, what will happen to them? And to you
my brothers and sisters, you have heard a lot of things said about me. You have heard that the LRA is a small-disorganised group.
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I would like to tell you that LRA is a highly organised group. If we were not organised, you wouldn't see all these people here. You wouldn't have heard us over the international media. We are organised and we know what we are doing.
I have my forces in Gulu, Pader and Kitgum. I also have a lot of forces outside Uganda. We have graduates and elites in LRA. I want to ask you; have you ever heard me making an appeal to treat my people? We have what it takes.
I would like to explain that war is a very difficult thing. War is very tough. If it weren't tough, you would have joined me. The other thing I want to say is there are mobile forces of the UPDF. They are moving from place to place in northern Uganda.
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