Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Kampala (Agenzia Fides) – “The negotiations are no more, the man (Kony) doesn't know what he wants and we have resolved to go the military way.” This was how Major Paddy Ankunda, spokesman for the Ugandan Army, announced the government’s decision to interrupt negotiations with Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), and once again return to hostilities against the guerrilla group that for over 20 years has caused death and destruction in northern Uganda.
Thus, it seems that the hope for peace that had bloomed thanks to the mediation of the government of South Sudan, comes to an end. After a series of provisional agreements, it had been settled that Kony would sign the definitive peace accord on April 10, but it was held off until the last minute (see Fides 11/4/2008).
The decision of the Ugandan government to reinitiate hostilities against the group, was taken after a meeting with security leaders from the region of the Great Lakes, which took place in an undisclosed location in Uganda.
Uganda's Chief of Defence Forces Aronda Nyakairima chaired the high profiled regional security meeting attended also by the Chief of Defense Forces (DRC), the Force Commander of the UN Mission in Congo (Monuc) Lt Gen Baba Kagai, Chief of Defence Forces SPLA, Lt Gen Oyai Deng and other intelligence officers. The LRA has been considered a regional problem, as its members move between north Uganda, the northeast part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic.
The spokesman of Uganda’s Army said that the participants in the meeting reached an agreement to conduct a military campaign against Kony, whose forces are now concentrated in Congolese territory.
The participants in the security meeting have distributed the various military operations within the campaign. MONUC forces pledged medical, food and other logistics. The Ugandan and Southern Sudan forces were tasked to provide Intelligence for the mission while the Congolese forces are the ones to directly battle with the LRA in Garamba forest, on Congolese territory on the border with Uganda. The Ugandan Army has already deployed forces on the border with Congo, in order to impede Kony’s men from escaping.
The peace talks began in July 2006 and were mediated by Riek Machar, the Vice President of Southern Sudan. It had resulted in a ceasefire by September 2006, and was described as the best chance ever for a negotiated settlement for the war. Kony and two of his senior deputies are wanted by the Hague-based International Crime Court for war crimes including rape, murder and the abduction of children. Fearing arrest, they have never appeared at the Juba talks. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 4/6/2008)
