2 July 2009
editorial
There are several sideshows going on in Northern Uganda which follow the tradition of misdirection about the roots of the conflict there.
One of them is the talk of new rebels. The other is the so-called Peace Recovery and Development Plan (PRDP) intended as a marshal plan to re-ignite progress at community and local government level in the north.
Both are high-sounding noises that threaten to drown out the unfinished business of peace-building that had sprouted during the nationally supported Juba peace process. At its best moments the peace-process, which tends to be obscured as a truce agreement by commentators including the President, promised to get to the bottom of the deep feelings of marginalisation and neglect felt in the north.
Through the PRDP, the government also promised to correct the imbalances between the North and other parts of the country. This job of promoting reconciliation and unleashing the goodwill of Ugandans through a practical, honest and accountable process has been hijacked by the press-conference theatre of finger pointing over rebels. There has also continued the plague of workshops and handwringing over the urgent needs of resettlements from camps which have continued in spite of the broken promises of politicians both local and national to the thousands who have been the real victims of indecision for over 20 years.
It is time to stop this confusion and focus on the real issues going forward even with the baggage of the past. Northern leaders and the government should champion the process of bridging the deep rooted suspicion, fear and resentment the north feels. Especially northern leaders should not use the continued suffering as political arrows aimed at the centre but do something about the suffering itself.
As for the government which bears the bigger burden of the national shame over the north, it should stop pointing the finger of blame at phantom plots and conspiracies but act firmly. First by leading reconciliation and secondly avoid turning the PRDP into a dress rehearsal. Several other programmes like NUSAF have done that. Get serious and show results on the ground.
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