Huge Progress! U.S. State Department issues significant statement on Juba Peace Talks

On Friday, the U.S. State Department issued a statement urging the signing of a final peace agreement in northern Uganda in what was arguably its strongest demonstration of support for the ongoing negotiations since they began a year and a half ago.

We've been saying for a long time that the U.S. is crucial to the implememtation of any agreement - that a signed peace of paper is just the beginning - and this latest statement demonstrates that they've gotten the message. This statement comes just a month after nearly 1,000 people came to D.C. as part of the Lobby Days for Northern Uganda and asked for this very thing. Our government is now pledging to see this through to the end, which means we're pledging to hold them accountable to that promise. It's imperative that these words be backed up with the action necessary for people in northern Uganda to go home and rebuild their lives.

When the Juba Peace Talks first began, they did so without the support or engagement of the U.S. Government. And now, after thousands of people across the country took action and said that this issue was important to them and that they thought it should be important to their government, not ony do we have a full-time diplomat assigned to represent the U.S. at the negotiations, we have this monumental statement, calling the talks the "best opportunity to date" to peacefully end [this war]."

Additionally, the statment says:

"The U.S. fully supports and welcomes the recent rapid progress in the Juba Peace Process. We urge the parties to sign the Final Peace Agreement on or before March 28 to demonstrate their commitment to peace and to send a strong signal of that commitment to both the international community and northern Ugandans.

As an observing party, we intend to participate fully in the proposed Oversight Forum, which would be formed to assist with implementation of the agreements. We will continue collaboration with the Government of Uganda to provide development support for northern Uganda and demobilization, disarmament, and resettlement assistance for ex-combatants."