Malingha Doya
6 July 2009
Nairobi — Growing uncertainty over a peaceful solution to the northern Uganda conflict, and Joseph Kony and his Lord's Resistance Army continued killings of civilians is galvanising international opinion in favour of a military solution.
Recently, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon prematurely halted Joaquim Chissano's tenure as his special envoy to areas affected by the LRA insurgency saying that the former Mozambican president had finished his assignment and it was now up to Kony to sign the peace agreement.
Mr Chissano was to make his final briefing to the UN Security Council before heading to Madagascar for another assignment immediately.
Short of Kony signing the agreement, the UN seems to be in agreement with some US Senators who want President Barack Obama to buy into a Bill they introduced on disbanding the LRA, helping economic recovery in northern Uganda and ensuring security in central Africa, proposals that would involve military action.
It is not clear whether Uganda through its enhanced diplomatic stature as chair of the United Nations Security Council influenced this shift in attitude.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs however maintains that the country's position still remains that of an invitation for Kony to sign the agreement and be subjected to a local traditional judicial trial.
Sources say that it is Uganda which pushed for and took a lead role in a joint military bombardment of Kony's hideout in the Democratic Republic of Congo, although it explained the operation as being a tripartite effort involving Kampala, Kinshasa and Juba, with support from the UN mission in Sudan.
Indeed after the time that DR Congo had allowed foreign militants on its territory elapsed, Congo's President Joseph Kabila came under pressure from his parliament to extend the period as requested by Kampala.
In the meantime, politicians and various leaders in Uganda, especially in areas affected by the conflict, urged the government to drop the military offensive and continue peace negotiations which would involve considering Kony's concerns of having the International Criminal Court warrant of arrest dropped.
It is these concerns that partly caused a stalemate in the peace negotiations in the first place, because Kampala could not make any promises, but instead asked Kony to sign the agreement which will then be used to persuade the ICC to allow Kampala to use a traditional judicial system to try the rebel leader.
James Mugume, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "There is still a chance for Kony to sign the peace agreement and be subjected to local judicial systems, and that is our position -- a peaceful resolution," adding, "The frustration came from the fact that the government, the UN, the African Union, Southern Sudan and many others in the world were all waiting for the signing of the peace agreement, and it did not happen. Instead Kony continued killing people."
Also, although politicians, human rights and humanitarian activists have accused the Uganda army of committing atrocities during their engagement with the rebels, the killings carried out by the rebels have demonised them year after year.
The LRA reportedly killed civilians in the Ngaramba forest in northeastern DR Congo, after he failed to appear to sign a peace agreement brokered by the Southern Sudan government.
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