Alfred Wasike
15 May 2008
Kampala — DISARM all former LRA rebels and people holding illegal guns in the north to achieve total peace in the war-torn region, activists have said. The recommendation is contained in a 24-page report by the Civil Society Organisations for Peace in Northern Uganda.
The coalition of 77 local and international charities also cautioned that the recovered weapons should be well documented, stored or destroyed.
"The lack of cooperation and trust between the two sides (government and LRA) can complicate the situation and lead to a scenario where only a fraction of weapons are collected," said the report.
"It is difficult to collect weapons until people feel secure and don't need them. Possible collection schemes could include weapons-for-food or community/group exchange of weapons for oxen."
Besides the quest for peace, the charities have also been undertaking interventions to improve the lives of the people in the region.
The report was launched on Wednesday by the Permanent Secretary in the internal affairs ministry, Dr. Steven Kagoda, on behalf of the minister, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, at the Kampala Serena Hotel.
"The Government is determined to develop northern Uganda, with or without Kony's signature (on the peace deal).
"We negotiated in good faith so we are acting for the good of the people in the region," Kagoda said.
LRA leader Joseph Kony was expected to sign on April 10 but he did not show up, saying he needed more clarification on aspects on the peace deal.
Efforts are underway to persuade him to sign to end the more than 20-year war.
The research, which was done in February and March by Linda Eckerbom Cole of the Community Action Fund for Women in Africa was designed to contribute to the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) discussions of the shaky Juba peace talks in South Sudan.
The study drew lessons from countries that suffered devastating civil wars like Mozambique, Liberia and Sierra Leone but are now peaceful.
The Amnesty Commission chairman, Justice Peter Onega and the World Bank's senior demobilisation/ reintegration specialist, Kees Kingma, hailed the report.
They, however, warned that the DDR was a complicated process that should be handled carefully.
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