1 November 2007
editorial
For the first time in more than 21 years representatives from the rebel Lords Resistance Army are in Kampala to consult with Ugandans and most importantly meet leaders here on how best to advance the fragile peace talks to end war in the north.
At the same time, a senior commander within the LRA ranks who recently surrendered to the UN peacekeeping force in DR Congo recently also arrived in the country yesterday to take up the amnesty offer from the Uganda government. Opio Makasi lost his way allegedly after fleeing a volatile LRA base in Garamba where the fate of another top commander Vincent Otti remain unclear with conflicting reports.
In the meantime, the peace talks in Juba are still on hold officially for the teams to consult before inking agenda No. 3 as finished business. This stage of the peace talks is crucial. It has come to that level where the saying; 'walking on egg shells' becomes relevant.
We, therefore, would like to urge caution. In 20 years of a sustained military campaign and several failed attempts at peace talks, the current round of peace talks offers the biggest ray of hope.
For the first time numbers of Ugandans living in camps for the internally displaced has drastically reduced and the people are beginning, with fresh determination, to set about rebuilding their lives.
However the excitement over alleged splits in the LRA ranks, the surrender or arrest of Makasi and the visit of the LRA peace delegation should be treated with good caution.
Ugandans are banking on the government delegation under Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, the Special UN representative on the LRA Mr Joachim Chissano and the chief mediator, South Sudan President Salva Kiir and the government of Uganda to critically analyse the situation so that any decision arrived at is informed by the desire to have a lasting closure to two decades of conflict and suffering.
It is only in the interest of all concerned that any deal reached encompasses all the LRA so that when they walk out of the bush, they all walk out as one whole.
Government of Uganda should especially be cautious not to repeat what happened in West Nile where a deal was reached with West Nile Bank Front rebels only to see the re-emergence of West Nile Bank Front II that continued the war and perpetuated suffering for so many years.
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