What is the future of the Peace Process in Uganda?

I have been following the Juba Peace talks with interest as a concerned Ugandan. The most recent report is that the LRA chief has again failed to turn up for the signing of the final Peace talks. Four peace preliminary peace agreements have so far been signed except for the final agreement which would indeed signify the end of the conflict in Northern Uganda. According to reports in the Saturday Vision of 13th September 2008, LRA Chief Joseph Kony on Thursday called the chief of the Acholi, Paramount chief Rwot Acana II to mobilize the Acholi cultural, religious and local leaders to mediate for a way forward. According to the LRA chief, some people were fighting to fail the peace process by blocking him from singing the final peace agreement adding that the major reason why he was not signing the final peace agreement was because of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The ICC under the request of the government of Uganda issued arrest warrants for LRA’s top 5 commanders including Joseph Kony for crimes committed against humanity during the insurgency in Northern Uganda. The Northern Uganda insurgency has been rated one of the worst human crisises in the recent times with tens of thousand of people killed or burnt to death, maimed, women and girls raped and facing all sorts of sexual violations imaginable. More than 30, 000 children have been abducted to serve as rebels. The population in this region is the poorest and this has gone on for 21years. The recent peace negotiations therefore in Juba were a source of hope for many people especially women and children who are the worst hit victims of this conflict, with the current youth of this region not knowing what peace is called since birth.

There have already been messages in the media that indicate that government is planning another military onslaught against the rebels since the rebels have failed to sign the peace agreement. However, the LRA say, they will not sign unless the ICC withdraws its indictments against them. Where does this leave the youth and children of Northern Uganda who in their lives have not known what a good meal, shelter or clothing is like and whose hope for a good future is greatly threatened by such developments?

The rebels have consistently expressed the wish to face justice within Uganda rather than at the ICC. According to Justice Julia Ssebutinde, Uganda can still regain its powers to prosecute the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) leaders since the law establishing the ICC provides room for deferral of the indictments. This can be done by filing a formal inter-party request for the ICC to withdraw from a case, under Article 19 of the Rome statute, which established the court. The condition however, before the government applies for the withdrawal, it should ensure that the necessary legislation that will try the suspects is in place and are functional. The Peace Agreement signed on Accountability and Reconciliation signed in Juba by the LRA and Government provides that, a special tribunal for trying LRA case will be established. The final peace agreement is therefore still in balance until the two parties sort out the issue of ICC.

This is however, at the cost of people in these regions whose experiences are equivalent to living in hell while still alive and almost rendered a hopeless venture. There is no point justifying government’s position of resorting to military options after 21 years of fighting this war. Nobody can assume to be more grieved than the aggrieved person. Government has to respect the views of the people who suffered this war. To them Peace comes first and justice later. Indeed, for me as a person, peace is much more important than justice; because no punishment can ever be done to Kony and his people that will march the level of suffering that the people of the North all put together have gone through.

My take on this issue is that much as government is working hard to ensure that the LRA does not return to destabilize Northern Uganda, it has not explored all the possible peaceful avenues to resolving this conflict. I was on a talk show this morning where we were discussing the status of the Peace talks, and it clears to me from the comments of some of my colleagues (men) that, they supported a military onslaught against the LRA. I called men war mongers, because when you look at the wars being fought every where in the world, who is fighting them? and who are the main victims-women, children and young persons. Who make such decisions of fighting these conflicts-men.

I would like to see all Ugandans living in peace and prosperity. This should be the mindset of all Ugandans no matter what region ones comes from, because a country in war is a poor country. For stake holders that are involved in the peace process, peace must be achieved and maintained at all costs, because people want Peace! Also, now that government has already developed programmes aimed at the recovery of Northern Uganda, it must support this through adequate funding, it must recommit itself to fighting corruption country wide; strengthen the justice and law sector as well as the operations of local governments who are charged with implementing these programmes.

Above all, involvement of women in all decision making processes spells progress for all Ugandans, without 50% of the total population of Uganda, means a 50% loss for the country, that is why we are seeing such wars dragging on unnecessarily.
It is not until; the day women will lead Uganda or this world for that matter, that the world will truly experience peace and prosperity. Ask me to substantiate this statement when that happens! I thank you readers.