NGOs Call on World Leaders to Remain Committed to Bringing a Peaceful End to War in Uganda
Washington, D.C., 16 November 2007 --- As negotiations between
the Ugandan government and rebel Lord's Resistance Army aimed at ending more than 20 years of civil war continue, NGOs from around the world are calling on all regional and international stakeholders to see the peace process through to a successful conclusion.
"The people of northern Uganda and throughout the region have suffered for too long," says a statement released today by more than forty-five humanitarian, faith-based and civil society organizations. "Through continued commitment to the peaceful resolution of the conflict and an immediate investment in early recovery, stakeholders can ensure that this moment of opportunity results in real and lasting peace."
Although the peace process has been challenging and slow, significant progress has been made. But the talks have recently come under pressure as parties to the conflict have formulated military threats.
"It is imperative that world leaders do all they can to help prevent a return to military action and make sure that these talks are given every chance to succeed" says Michael Poffenberger, Executive Director of Resolve Uganda, a D.C.-based advocacy organization lobbying for an end to the war.
The negotiations between the Government of Uganda and the rebel group began in August of 2006 in Juba, South Sudan and have been widely heralded as the best chance to end two decades of conflict in northern Uganda. The war, one of the most gruesome in modern times, has included the displacement of 1.8 million people and abduction of up to 66,000 children for use as porters, child soldiers and sex slaves.
"These talks are the best chance for peace in twenty years and we need to join our forces to help them succeed. Dozens of NGOs are giving their full support for the negotiations and we urge both sides to uphold their commitment to bringing peace to their country as well." said Savio Carvalho, Uganda's Country Programme Manager for the development and aid agency Oxfam.
NGOs working on the ground in northern Uganda have observed the positive impact already being felt in the region as a result of the negotiations.
"Though emergency-level humanitarian conditions still exist in northern Uganda, the Juba negotiations have led to fragile improvements in security, allowing displaced people greater freedom of movement and access to their land," according to the joint statement. "Sustained support for the negotiations and increased investment in the rehabilitation of the North are required to make this progress toward peace irreversible. If the negotiations process is given a sufficient chance to succeed, it will lead to a major turning point for this long-troubled region of Africa."
"By taking concrete measures now," says Poffenberger, "the international community can help make sure that the millions of people affected by this conflict get the chance to start rebuilding their lives without the fear of a return to violence and chaos."