Weekly Roundup for Feb. 9-14: Allegations of fresh rebel attacks anger war-weary region
Coming to you a day early, here is this week's Weekly Roundup...
The Good: President Museveni, whose commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict has often been questioned, said this week that the Juba talks remain the "most promising" of all negotiation efforts yet.
The Bad: However, allegations of fresh rebel attacks in southern Sudan and moves toward Central African Republic have caused alarm at the Juba peace negotiations and in war-affected communities.
The Ugly: Almost deja vu, the Ugandan government has said it will not renew the ceasefire truce when it expires at the end of this month. We agree that the negotiations should not be endless, but incessant threats and deadlines only undermine public trust in the peace process.
The Peace Process:
- A group of LRA rebels have been accused of several fresh attacks in southern Sudan, with reported death tolls ranging from four to 136. The Cessation of Hostilities Monitoring Team has begun investigations of these claims, which would be in clear violation of the truce.
- Before the investigations even began though, the Ugandan government accused the LRA of a "gross violation" of the cessation of hostilities. The rebels' negotiating team dismissed the allegations.
- This week, southern Sudanese officials also alleged that a group of rebels are "on the move" toward Central African Republic. The LRA lead negotiator dismissed these reports too as "baseless propaganda" of the Ugandan government.
- After negotiations resumed in late January, the LRA team in Juba requested another break this week to attend a consultative meeting in Nairobi. The LRA's new lead negotiator said this is a meeting to "iron out intricacies" before finalizing a deal, but the Government's negotiators are understandably suspicious.
Situation on the Ground:
- A resident of Gulu district was awarded $4,600 this week as compensation for torture he suffered in 1999 at the hands of the Ugandan military. Reports of such abuses during the 1990s up until just a couple years ago are very common and have largely gone unaddressed.
- With allegations of new rebel attacks, return home from displacement camps has largely halted, especially in the Acholi districts most affected by the conflict.
Regional Impacts:
- Efforts to reach a political compromise in Kenya have intensified as political violence continues.
- The Independent reports this week that Somalia is the "world's worst forgotten catastrophe" with warfare persisting amidst the US-supported Ethiopian occupation and over 600,000 people displaced in 2007.
- In eastern DR Congo, the UN peacekeepers are moving to establish buffer zones to enforce the recently signed ceasefire and demobilize combatants.
International Response:
- No news to report on international action, but the Northern Uganda Lobby Days are just one week away! You can still sign up and be part of pushing for a U.S. response that is more coordinated, consistent and clear in support for a peaceful end to this tragic war!