LRA delegation asks West Nile communities for forgiveness

The LRA delegation conducting consultations on justice and reconciliation and the Juba peace talks on Tuesday asked communities in Uganda’s West Nile region to forgive LRA crimes committed there. A member from the delegation said, "We ask for forgiveness and I can assure you that we are ready to be punished not by the ICC but through mato-oput [Acholi traditional justice system]." West Nile leaders emphasized the importance of forgiveness but also stressed that victims be compensated. In addition to the LRA conflict, the West Nile region is also in the process of rebuilding and reconciling after a 2002 peace agreement between the Ugandan government and the West Nile rebels ended decades of fighting and displacement. Read more at The Monitor.