UGANDA 13/7/2004 10:25 THE WAR CAN BE STOPPED, IF WE WANT! Peace/Justice, Urgent North Uganda is in desperate conditions and the international community remains at the window watching. This was the strong message launched by Riccardo Bonacina, editor-in-chief of the weekly no profit âVitaâ (Life) magazine in a press conference yesterday in the âSala delle Bandiereâ (Hall of Flags) of the Capitol in Rome (Italy). In face of the numerous massacres perpetrated by the "rebels of the LRA"(lordâs Resistance Army), particularly in the districts of the Acholi and Lango ethnic groups, it is immoral to act as ostriches. Burying our heads under the sand would mean ignoring the responsibilities of all those involved on different levels in this conflict underway since the late 80âs. Thanking all those that took part in the appointment promoted by âVitaâ, in particular Cardinal Renato Martino, Chairman of the Pontifical âJustice and Peaceâ Council, the Mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni, the President of the association of Italian NGOâs Sergio Marelli and many others, MISNA intends to submit some considerations to the attention of the readers to favour the reflection and involvement of each man and woman of good will. In acknowledging the insecurity and misery determined by the violent North Ugandan civil war it is indispensable that the international community, in its multiple components, mobilises in favour of the strife-ridden civil population, submitted daily to unspeakable violations by numerous armed gangs. While on one hand Kampala authorities should show a major effort in guaranteeing the safety of all those, lay and religious, living in the northern districts of the nation, on the other the government of Khartoum must impede the provisioning of arms and ammunition to the North Ugandan rebels, assuring to international justice all those that committed crime against humanity, foremost the LRA leader Joseph Kony, responsible for the abduction of 25-thousand children, forcedly recruited in his movement, and an unprecedented bloodbath that has claimed 120-thousand lives. The United Nations Security Council, African Union (AU) and the Commission of the European Union (EU) should instead include this âforgotten conflictâ in their agendas, studying opportune diplomatic initiatives to stop this absurd spiral of violence. In particular there is need of major efforts by the AU that last week during the Addis Ababa summit decided for the deployment of a small contingent of 300 men to Darfur (West Sudan). An unprecedented decision in Pan-African policy, given to its principle of non-interference in internal affairs of member nations, but that should also have been applied in the case of North Uganda. It is also essential to include the North Ugandan conflict in the negotiation programme between the Sudan government and SPLA (Sudan Peopleâs Liberation Army). This in the absolute certainty that the war underway since 1983 in South Sudan is closely linked to the North Ugandan conflict, since Konyâs rebels are still today foraged by the Khartoum regime. Then with great disappointment we find a serious lack of international media attention on the African wars. We therefore invite all members of the press to give voice to the suffering populations of North Uganda and the Worldâs South in general. (Translation of article by Father Giulio Albanese) [BO] N¬±êï‰Ç²,µçhžØ^"wèr‰§zÜ(®Hm¶Ÿÿà "ú ¢g(º
