Key points here:
Onega says" The Government has appointed a Presidential Peace Team with an office in Gulu. That's an indication that the Government is willing to talk peace," he said.
This, alone and in of it self is not and cannot be a SUFFICIENT condition which somehow portrays the "government's" Good intention, so to say, to negotiate peace with the rebels.
In any case, isn't Bantarazi and his UPDF calling the rebels "Terrorist" who must be Killed!
Please educate me, follow citizens of Uganda, as to how Yoweri Museveni's Military dictatorship can negotiate peace with "TERRORIST" ?
Museveni's/NRM position..rather policy of Military consequent of his opponents is pretty much self defeating.... is it not?
Moreover, I do not think the rebels trust Museveni's sincerity to negotiate peace. why? Museveni and his NRM have no credibility.. they cannot..rather they can never be trusted to honor any agreement.
That stated, it is therefore essential that some other third party (the UN, EU, and Ugandans from all walks of life who have a stake in the affair of our country.) should be involved in any meaningful negotiation between the rebels and NRM military dictatorship.
Short of that museveni cannot be serious of peace negotiations.
Matek
Amnesty Body Appeals for Kony
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New Vision (Kampala)
September 29, 2003
Posted to the web September 29, 2003
Denis Ocwich
Kampala
The Amnesty Commission has failed to get contact with top Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebel leaders but the commission's chairman, Peter Onega wants the amnesty period extended for them.
Addressing a press conference at his office in Kampala recently, Onega said since the commission was set up in 2000, up to 9,717 rebels had surrendered. They include 3,824 former LRA fighters.
"The result has not been as people had expected but at least we are having some rebels reporting. It takes time to build peace," Onega said. "Maybe given more time, these people will come out."
He was responding to recent remarks by President Yoweri Museveni that he would not renew the amnesty period for LRA commanders if they failed to surrender by the end of this year.
Onega said the Amnesty Act 2000 will expire on January 17.
He condemned the rebels for committing atrocities, but said they would be forgiven if they responded to the amnesty.
"The Government has appointed a Presidential Peace Team with an office in Gulu. That's an indication that the Government is willing to talk peace," he said.
"But the LRA have never appointed their peace team. If they were committed to peacetalks, they would have done this long ago."
Onega said the Government gives the commission sh1.6b each year, which, he said among other things, is used for resettling the ex-rebels. Each former rebel is given sh500,000.
"We still have a backlog of 5,000 reporters to resettle, so we are looking for money," he said, adding that the commission requires sh2.5b for resettlement.
He said the number of rebel returnees keeps increasing.
