July 25, 2006
Uganda's President Says No Power Sharing With Rebels / Catholic Groups Aiding Talks on Uganda / Side talks could be key to northern Uganda peace process / Uganda Peace Talks Bring Hope: Can Sudans Machar bridge the gap between Kampala and the LRA?
Four items from today (updated to add the ones from Zenit and the "Christian Science Monitor"):
(See also both, most recently, yesterday's batch of stories and yesterday's related VOA feature.)
From VOA...
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni says peace talks with the rebel Lord's Resistance Army are not for the purpose of sharing power.
In a statement, Mr. Museveni says the talks in southern Sudan are intended to give the rebels what the Ugandan president calls a "soft landing".
Mr. Museveni is said to have made the comments Monday during a meeting with the British ambassador (High Commissioner) to Uganda, Francois Gordon.
Earlier this month, the Ugandan president offered amnesty to rebel leader Joseph Kony with the condition that the peace talks go well.
Kony remains wanted on war crimes charges by the International Criminal Court. The LRA is accused of killing, kidnapping, and mutilating thousands of civilians during a 20-year war against the Ugandan government.
Mr. Museveni told the ambassador that the peace talks will allow the rebels to reconcile with their victims. He also said some
rebels could be integrated into Uganda's army.
The talks in Juba have adjourned for the week so the negotiators can consult with their leaders. On Monday, the chief mediator said the sides had achieved "substantial progress."
A group of Kony's relatives are scheduled to meet him at his hiding place in the Democratic Republic of Congo later this week, in what is considered a confidence-building measure for the talks.
From Zenit...
The Ugandan government and the rebel Lord's Resistance Army have completed the first week of talks aimed at ending a two-decade-long insurgency that has claimed tens of thousands of victims.
Neighboring southern Sudan hosted the talks in Juba. Mediators include the vice president of the government of South Sudan, Riak Machar Teny, as well as delegates from the Rome-based Community of Sant'Egidio and the Pax Christi Movement.
The Sant'Egidio Community revealed that the round of peace talks, which ended Monday, focused on the "cessation of hostilities, comprehensive solutions, reconciliation in accountability" and the grave situation of the population of northeastern Uganda.
"At present almost 2 million homeless people have been moved to refugee camps, causing a very serious situation from the humanitarian point of view," said a Sant'Egidio communiqué. "Peace would enable them to return to their villages."
Talks are scheduled to resume July 31.
Machar Teny revealed that one of the most significant results of the first session of negotiations was to move from an atmosphere "of hostility and animosity to one of mutual listening and give-and-take."
Neighboring southern Sudan hosted the talks in Juba. Mediators include the vice president of the government of South Sudan, Riak Machar Teny, as well as delegates from the Rome-based Community of Sant'Egidio and the Pax Christi Movement.
The Sant'Egidio Community revealed that the round of peace talks, which ended Monday, focused on the "cessation of hostilities, comprehensive solutions, reconciliation in accountability" and the grave situation of the population of northeastern Uganda.
"At present almost 2 million homeless people have been moved to refugee camps, causing a very serious situation from the humanitarian point of view," said a Sant'Egidio communiqué. "Peace would enable them to return to their villages."
Talks are scheduled to resume July 31.
Machar Teny revealed that one of the most significant results of the first session of negotiations was to move from an atmosphere "of hostility and animosity to one of mutual listening and give-and-take."
Fellow citizens:
In any negotiation, the parties to the negotiation must do so as equals; this is very very
important. . In this on going so called "Juba peace talks" Dictator Yoweri Museveni , it does appear wants members of the International Commuinty and Ugandans to somehow believe that "kony and his rebels" are but a vanquished force and therefore cannot be negotiated with as equals. Of course the danger is that "kony" may reject NRM positions and the war continues, with it's resulting human suffering and destruction of property! what then, if anything will the NRM military dictatorship do?is the NRM going to deploy more forces in Northern and eastern Uganda and continue with the twenty year fight? this would of course be a lumnatic move on the part of the NRM military dictatorship. we have stated before, and we will stated again, that the people of Uganda are tired of this 20 year war, which it seems, left to the nrm is likely to continue. That stated if the nRM cannot bring about peace in Northern and Eastern Uganda
after 20 years of war!!... then the NRM should and must abdicate it responsibility for privinding peace to the nation. a more responsible group of Uganda leader must take over, who then can and will act to bring peace to our nation.
Matek
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