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Uganda: There's Still Hope for the Juba Peace Talks
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New Vision (Kampala)
OPINION
12 May 2008
Posted to the web 13 May 2008
Peter Quaranto
Kampala
THE decision by Joseph Kony, the Lord's Resistance Army's (LRA) rebel leader, to postpone the signing of the Final Peace Agreement and officially end the war in the North is disheartening for war-affected communities who long for peace.
Over one million displaced people in the North continue to face the difficult task of trying to create a new life in the absence of peace and in fear of a return to violence.
But there is still hope for the North. After 22-years of war, the Juba negotiations have brought northern Uganda to the brink of peace. The dramatic improvements seen in the lives of war-affected communities should be consolidated and sustained regardless of how the negotiations process concludes. The resettlement of displaced persons and redevelopment of the region must continue.
A failure to secure the peace and the resort to a "military solution" would trigger renewed fears of insecurity and threaten the progress made on the ground in the North.
It would also impede efforts to implement important aspects of the agreements already approved by the Government and the LRA that are not contingent upon the signing of the final peace agreement.
The Juba talks have been a catalyst for security and humanitarian improvements in the region. Patient and persistent engagement from all stakeholders is needed to guarantee that they are successful.
Therefore, all stakeholders to the process should exercise patience and support the work of the mediator and local leaders to talk directly with the rebel leaders so that a final deal can be concluded and implemented immediately. The LRA should immediately halt attacks on civilians and release women and children.
The Government, with the support of the international community and civil society, should uphold its commitments made during the negotiations to address historical grievances, help redevelop war-affected areas through the Peace, Recovery and Development Plan, and establish a process of accountability for crimes committed during the war.
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The Government should ensure a safe and voluntary environment for the return of displaced persons.
The international community should work to ensure the protection of civilians in northern Uganda, Southern Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic.
The writer is the senior researcher at Resolve Uganda
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