View from the ground: Resolve Uganda's Field Researcher in Uganda reflects on anniversary of LRA attack and the road ahead

Last week, Kenny Ferenchak, Resolve Uganda's field researcher based in Kampala, attended a service commemorating the 11-year anniversary of the LRA attack on St. Mary's College in northern Uganda. Below, Kenny offers his thoughts on this event and its significance in light of the challenges currently facing the people of northern Uganda.

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On 10 October 2007, hundreds of visiting civil society and religious leaders and representatives gathered in the shade of the serene campus at St. Mary's College in Aboke, Apac District. They were greeted by the voices of hundreds of the school's female students, filling the courtyard with songs of praise and thanksgiving accompanied by the rhythmic beat of a percussion arrangement. The sense of community and hope formed throughout this prayer service captured the concept of peace like no words ever could.

On 10 October 1996, visitors of an entirely different nature descended upon these very same secluded school grounds. On that night, rather than peaceful song, desperate cries and gunshots pierced the night air. In a night of terror that generated international attention, an overnight raid by the Lord's Resistance Army resulted in the abduction of 139 students from the all-female secondary school. While the heroic efforts of Sister Rachele, the college's deputy head mistress, quickly brought about the release of 109 of the girls, several girls remained in captivity for years to come and some remain missing to this day .

To me, last week's service clearly illustrated two related points. First, this type of gathering in northern Uganda, so filled with unity and hope for a potentially bright future would never have happened prior to the start of peace talks last year. The continuing talks, the slow but steady return of people from the “mother” IDP camps to locations closer to their homelands, and the ever-increasing international attention aimed at this long-ignored region gives one a strong sense that positive change is occurring in northern Uganda. Furthermore, last week’s service also served as a vivid reminder that combating the lasting effects of war requires continual healing and peacebuilding efforts.

Given all that has gone into restoring this one small community, one can only begin to imagine what will be required for the rehabilitation of an entire region of people who have endured decades of unthinkable violence. This is the reality of the situation in northern Uganda. Though the road to peace and stability is long, the distance is dwarfed by the sense of hope and resilience embodied by the northern communities.

There is good reason to be hopeful. This Monday, hundreds of government ministers, district officials, international dignitaries, and civil society workers convened for a gathering of their own to witness President Museveni's official launch of the Peace, Recovery, and Development Plan (PRDP) for northern Uganda. The plan’s designation of $606 million for the region over the next three-year and reiteration of the President's pledges of "no more disturbances in the north," are most certainly causes for optimism. Effective and sustained implementation of the PRDP could help ensure the long-term peace and stability so badly needed in the region.

But the optimism of the PRDP must be tempered by the reality of the situation and the magnitude of the task on the ground in northern Uganda. 1.3 million Ugandans continue to languish in crowded camps, hampered by delayed peace talks, sustained flooding in the north and east that continues to hamper return and development projects already underway, and the scars of two-decades of neglect and broken promises from the Ugandan government and the international community.

Thus, while ambition and commitment signaled by the PRDP are to be commended, the plan is far from an answer to all of the north's problems. Close monitoring and firm international support for its implementation are needed to bring lasting benefits to the people of northern Uganda. Furthermore, preparation for recovery and development are premature if the first component of the plan is not achieved: Peace.

Many of the same actors applauding the launch of the PRDP have also been recently calling for a deadline to the peace talks, for the immediate arrest of those indicted by the International Criminal Court, and advocating for the development of a regional military strategy to "mop up" the LRA in case talks fail. Though the negotiations have been plagued by a series of challenges, the fact of the matter is that significant progress has been made and the region is now closer to peace than it has been at any point in the past two decades. Support for the PRDP must be matched by ongoing support for the Juba Peace Talks.

Though the scene at St. Mary's College on 10 October 2007 was an inspiring display of peace, the night of 10 October 1996 is far from a distant memory. The songs and prayers of this community revealed all that is at stake in these negotiations. Despite the obstacles, the fruits of peace are well worth the labor.

President Museveni is scheduled to meet President Bush at the White House next week to discuss among other things the security situation in northern Uganda. Both parties' respective countries have made mentions of deadlines to the talks and military alternatives. For the sake of the PRDP and real security in the north, let us hope that both men allow room for the lessons of Aboke.