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UGANDA: Truce Expires

UGANDA: Truce Expires Aid agencies fear one of Africa's longest wars could resume because neither side will give way. Lord's Resistance Army ( LRA ) rebels will not renew a landmark truce ( Vol. 43, p. 16763 ) with the Ugandan government, set to expire on March 1st, a top LRA official said, raising fears of a new chapter in the brutal 20‐year war in northern Uganda. The LRA pulled out of peace talks with the government in south Sudan ’s capital Juba in January ( p. 16949 ), citing security fears after Sudanese President Omar al‐Bashir threatened to ‘‘get rid of the LRA from Sudan’’. They have refused to resume talks unless another venue outside Sudan is found, a request Kampala rejects as a time‐wasting tactic. ‘‘We are not going to renew anything,’’ LRA deputy commander Vincent Otti told Reuters by satellite telephone from his forest hideout in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo . The ceasefire, signed in August 2006 and renewed last December, raised hopes of an end to a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and uprooted 1.7 m in northern Uganda. ‘‘(The truce) is just a playing tactic of the government while they renew military operations against us. Why renew an agreement they are not respecting?’’ Otti said. Both sides accuse each other of violations. The government says the LRA failed to gather at two agreed assembly points inside south Sudan; the rebels say the Ugandan army used the meeting points to besiege them and attack their fighters. Otti said the LRA had no plans to resume hostilities, but would hit back in self‐defence. He added that the LRA would happily sign an extension of the truce in another venue. Addressing journalists, President Yoweri Museveni warned military operations against the LRA were still possible. ‘‘Peace in Uganda will be maintained with or without peace talks,’’ he said. ‘‘Talks were mainly for the benefit of the terrorists. If they don't give in, that will be their problem.’’ Analysts say Museveni has had little faith in the peace process, but sees that it might be the only way out of a costly war that has tarnished Uganda's international image. ‘‘Museveni is a man who believes in force, not negotiated settlement,’’ Paul Omach, a political scientist at Kampala's Makerere University, told Reuters . ‘‘But he's also pragmatic. It was internal political pressure that made him accept talks.’’ Aid agencies nevertheless fear the resumption of one of Africa's longest wars and renewed humanitarian catastrophe. ( Reuters 28/2 ) LRA talks collapse p. 16949 http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series Wiley

UGANDA: Truce Expires

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Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
Copyright © 2007 Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company
ISSN
0001-9844
eISSN
1467-825X
DOI
10.1111/j.1467-825X.2007.00864.x
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Aid agencies fear one of Africa's longest wars could resume because neither side will give way. Lord's Resistance Army ( LRA ) rebels will not renew a landmark truce ( Vol. 43, p. 16763 ) with the Ugandan government, set to expire on March 1st, a top LRA official said, raising fears of a new chapter in the brutal 20‐year war in northern Uganda. The LRA pulled out of peace talks with the government in south Sudan ’s capital Juba in January ( p. 16949 ), citing security fears after Sudanese President Omar al‐Bashir threatened to ‘‘get rid of the LRA from Sudan’’. They have refused to resume talks unless another venue outside Sudan is found, a request Kampala rejects as a time‐wasting tactic. ‘‘We are not going to renew anything,’’ LRA deputy commander Vincent Otti told Reuters by satellite telephone from his forest hideout in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo . The ceasefire, signed in August 2006 and renewed last December, raised hopes of an end to a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and uprooted 1.7 m in northern Uganda. ‘‘(The truce) is just a playing tactic of the government while they renew military operations against us. Why renew an agreement they are not respecting?’’ Otti said. Both sides accuse each other of violations. The government says the LRA failed to gather at two agreed assembly points inside south Sudan; the rebels say the Ugandan army used the meeting points to besiege them and attack their fighters. Otti said the LRA had no plans to resume hostilities, but would hit back in self‐defence. He added that the LRA would happily sign an extension of the truce in another venue. Addressing journalists, President Yoweri Museveni warned military operations against the LRA were still possible. ‘‘Peace in Uganda will be maintained with or without peace talks,’’ he said. ‘‘Talks were mainly for the benefit of the terrorists. If they don't give in, that will be their problem.’’ Analysts say Museveni has had little faith in the peace process, but sees that it might be the only way out of a costly war that has tarnished Uganda's international image. ‘‘Museveni is a man who believes in force, not negotiated settlement,’’ Paul Omach, a political scientist at Kampala's Makerere University, told Reuters . ‘‘But he's also pragmatic. It was internal political pressure that made him accept talks.’’ Aid agencies nevertheless fear the resumption of one of Africa's longest wars and renewed humanitarian catastrophe. ( Reuters 28/2 ) LRA talks collapse p. 16949

Journal

Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series – Wiley

Published: Mar 1, 2007

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