Kampala — The Lord's Resistance Army rebel leader Joseph Kony declared an immediate cease-fire on 2 March on Mega FM radio in Gulu. This announcement was met with varied responses in the war-torn region, as recorded Easter come too early

"We welcome this with both hands. The population in Yumbe district got their Christmas gift when the Uganda National Rescue Front (UNRF II) rebels stopped fighting. This is our Easter gift and as you know Easter is the foundation of Christianity," Gulu District speaker Rev. Willy Olango said.

Deputy Speaker of Gulu District Local Government Ms. Lucy Kidega Larubi expressed happiness as well. "I am happy and hopeful," she said. She said that both the UPDF and LRA rebels should co-operate and rid the community of the Bookec, a group of gunmen who terrorise the area.

Ms Larubi appealed to international community to help the LRA with basic supplies like food, medicine, shelter, clothing and transport.

However, not everyone received the announcement with relief and joy.

Secretary General of Gulu Based Human Rights Focus (HURIFO) James A. Otto was cautious because of what he called "spoilers". Mr Otto said that he was not happy with people who used the media to make contradicting statements.

Bosco Odoki, assistant Resident District Commissioner of Nakapiripirit also voiced the same concerns. He said, "We should bridge all loopholes to enable us come up with a solution to this problem," he said.

Mr Otto added that the government should formally respond to the cease-fire declaration instead of leaving it to Lt. Gen. Salim Saleh, a member of the government peace team. "Government has not yet responded. Salim Saleh is not in the government. He is only in the peace team. We want someone in government like Hon. Eriya Kategaya," he said.

Lack of government involvement

Mr Otto also said that for the people to ensure that both parties observed their commitment to peace, they (the parties) would have to be closely monitored. "The Government should get involved, and not act through a proxy", he said.

Richard Oweka Kagwa, Councillor for Patiko sub-county in Gulu district accused the international community of playing double standards for long. "They should come to intervene, not to fuel the war," he said.

Mr Kagwa also feared that some officials within the government and rebel ranks might interfere and sabotage the peace process. "I fear the bootlickers from both sides. They interfered with the initiatives of Betty Bigombe and Lt. Col. Walter Odwa Odoch in the past. Let them give peace a chance this time," Mr Kagwa said.

Mr Okumu Reagan, MP for Aswa also referred to the same incident. He said that some UPDF officers did not want the peace process to succeed. He said the soldiers did not want Ms Bigombe to have a face-to-face meeting with Mr Kony.

"They based their arguments on intelligence reports. At one time Bigombe said that if the army would not allow her to meet Kony as a minister, then she would go ahead to meet Kony as an Acholi," he said.

There are detractors too

Mr Okumu said that some national politicians (both within Acholi and outside) did not want Ms Bigombe to succeed because her popularity would threaten their own political standing. He added that this group connived with some national politicians to convince president Museveni to offer LRA a 7-day ultimatum instead of the three weeks that Mr Kony had requested.

Mr Okumu also accused local politicians who he said wrote to Kony at that time telling him not to accept any negotiations before the elections of the Constituent Assembly. "There are beneficiaries in the war from both sides," he said.

Even those who are hopeful with the latest turn of events have expressed some reservations.

"I rejoiced in my heart and I also shed tears of joy. We stayed outside till midnight after hearing the good news. We did not even fear the dogs that were barking," said Rev. Kenneth Oyet of Nwoya Rural Community Development. However they did not lock themselves inside because they were still fearful of the LRA.

Not the first time

This is not the first time the LRA has declared a cease-fire.

On 26 August 2002, Mr Kony declared a cease-fire in writing and demanded that government reciprocate. The government gave conditions for the LRA to converge in Sudan. The LRA responded by saying that, with such terms, the government had a hidden agenda of bombing them. The clashes between the two parties continued.

The PRO Lt. Paddy Ankunda doubts the declarations of LRA leader Joseph Kony. Lt Ankunda said that the night the first declaration was announced, the LRA ambushed a vehicle along Adjumani road and killed one businessman in Gulu Town.

"We are on the alert. We shall only take him seriously if he relocates to the place the president suggested and if he stops the abductions, ambushes and killings," he said. Lt Ankunda added that Mr Kony should exercise control over his soldiers if they were ready for peace, and that they should abide by Mr Museveni's terms.

Onyaya-Acellam, an opinion leader, hopes that this time round, the mediators will take advantage of this declaration and push for peaceful solutions.

The insurgency in northern Uganda has been running for 16 years and has displaced more than one million people, with 800,000 being forced into the internally displaced people's camps. The most affected districts are Gulu, Pader, Kitgum, Apac and Lira.