Filed under: Uncategorized
Lives Hang in the Balance as LRA Peace Talks Falter
Emmanuel, 12, was kidnapped by the LRA six years ago. He is now back home after receiving help at World Vision’s Children of War Rehabilitation Center in Gulu. Photo by Margaret Alerotek.
Peace talks in Uganda have been on-again, off-again, and meanwhile more than 1.5 million lives hang in the balance.
The talks have raised hopes that the end of war may be near and thousands of abducted children will return home.
In August, a rebel group known as the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) agreed to a truce that would end one of Africa’s longest-running wars. For the past 20 years, the LRA, led by Joseph Kony, has abducted children and forced them to serve as soldiers and sex slaves.
The International Criminal Court wants to try the LRA leaders on murder, rape and forcibly enlisting children. The government of Uganda has hinted it will offer amnesty to LRA leaders if that would mean an end to the war.
United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland said, “This is the best chance we have ever had for peace in northern Uganda.” He is urging the UN Security Council to forego seeking the arrest of LRA leaders in order to best support the peace process.
Over the years, the rebels have kidnapped an estimated 25,000 children, maybe more. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of children have slept in shelters in city centers to avoid abduction when rebels attack outlying villages by night. On top of this, about 1.5 million people have fled their homes because of the conflict and are living in squalid, overcrowded displacement camps.
Peace Talks on Brink of Collapse
This July, peace talks between the rebels and the Ugandan government restarted and a ceasefire was signed August 26. But rebels missed a key deadline to gather all their leaders and fighters at two assembly points in southern Sudan.
Near the end of September, rebels walked out of peace talks because of a military buildup of the Ugandan army. In early October, the Ugandan army resumed an offensive against the rebels. Talks have stalled. Kony keeps insisting that war crimes indictments against him and other LRA leaders be dropped.
At this time, the peace talks appear on the brink of failing.
Nongovernmental organizations in the United States say that in the face of a possible breakdown in the talks, the United States must end its silence.
“The talks are breaking down, in part, because of the U.S. and other third party observers aren’t there to monitor the situation and ensure the parties make good on their promises,” says Rory Anderson, World Vision senior policy advisor for Africa.
No Comments so far
Leave a comment
Leave a comment
Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>
