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The Monitor (Kampala)August 16, 2003
Posted to the web August 16, 2003 Frank Nyakairu
Kampala Religious leaders in northern Uganda have appealed for deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping force to expedite delivery of relief food to the displaced population.The request was made, Wednesday, during a visit to Gulu by Dr Francis Deng, the UN Secretary General's representative on Internally Displaced Persons. Archbishop John Baptist Odama read the statement to him.
"The opening of humanitarian corridors for the delivery of aid to the displaced population could be a good entry point," Odama said."These convoys could be escorted by an international peace-keeping force with a limited mandate," he added.
They would be a deterrent and serve as defence against possible attacks, said the Bishop.The leaders, through the umbrella Acholi Religious Leader's Peace Initiative, also proposed that part of the mandate of the force be establishment of safe, neutral zones where rebels could dialogue with local leaders and government."The lack of such space has been a constant stumbling block in making any significant progress as far as dialogue is concerned," the religious leaders said.
Dr. Deng also called for the involvement of a third party to help resolve the 17year conflict."Solving a conflict requires finding its root cause; addressing the root cause of a conflict we need peace and getting peace we require a third party," he said.Dr Deng was however quick to add that to help the displaced people, government should not antagonised.
He also advised that nobody should claim victory - over the other.The religious leaders also proposed that Uganda be involved in the peace talks aimed at ending Sudan's civil war, since the two conflicts are intertwined.
The Sudan peace talks are taking place in Kenya.Dr. Deng visited children sleeping in the open, both in Gulu town and at Lacor Mission Hospital, west of the town.He also witnessed distribution of food aid by the World Food Program (WFP) to a camp of internally displaced people.
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