3 September 2002
Kampala — Archbishop John Odama says that the three priests, Fr. Carlos Rodriguez, Giulio Albanese, and Tarcisio Pazzaglia who were arrested on Aug. 28 while meeting LRA rebels had the permission of Kitgum political authorities and the army.
The army says the priests did not have their permission. Very soon the facts will come out. The fate of the priests falls into a long pattern about the conflict in the north. The LRA have killed peace envoys, and UPDF has either killed or arrested peace envoys and contacts.
In general, when the UPDF sees that the fighting is turning in its favour, it turns its back on even peace missions that it established. When the rebels also feel the odds favour them, they become intransigent. The problem with this conflict all these years is that each of the belligerent parties wants the other not to negotiate, but surrender at the table.
For this reason the search for peace usually stops when the fighting has reduced. However, this is the best time to pursue peace, when there is no fighting and none of the warring sides has a pumped up ego that will be injured by seeming to be giving in.
The government and LRA have talked the peace talk. Now they need to seriously walk the walk.
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