Citizens:
The latest barrage of accusation directed towards the rebels, is totally unwarranted.
Members of the International Community and Uganda ( those with the capability of reading articles or listening to news from Foreign source such as the BBC), now now for a fact that the LRA never committed the massacre for which it is being blamed by Ms. Korooro Okurut. In luo language there is a proverb which says: Kadi bede Lajok, ka tin pe Omyello, Kii Time Kica".. literally translate.. even if one is a wizard, if today he was NOT involved in NIGHT DANCER, one must as a matter of fairness forgive the wizard! The implication of this proverb is self evident.
The fact is fellow citizens the LRA, we know for a fact from none other then
general Deng of the SPLA, never committed the said recent atrocities against Sudanese civilians in Southern Sudan. General Deng himself , quoted by the BBC, now says that those who massacred the Sudanese were quote" some elements who wanted to impersonate the LRA"
So now the question is: why is this woman lady Karoooro Okurut engaged in a vicious propaganda campaign against the LRA during these period when the LRA is holding peace talk with the Military dictatorship in Kampala? What, if anything, does lady Karooro hope to accomplished with this vicious propaganda campaign against the LRA?
Political observers believe that Propagandist Karooro is simply, engaged in this vicious campaign against the LRA , if for nothing else to win both international and domestic sympathy
for the NRM military dictatorship.
It would appear that Karooro hope that the peace talks in Juba will fail, and that the LRA would be blamed for such failure.
..and yet members of the International Community and the people of Uganda are fully aware that if the peace talks were to fail, it would have failed NOT because of the LRA behavior,, rather because of NRM behavior, propaganda, innuendo, and out right sabotage of the peace talks.
Indeed, we are all well aware of dictators Yoweri Museveni's utterances against the LRA ..many of which have been posted on this Ugandanet forum. We know how Museveni abused the LRA. How Museveni henchmen used treats t against the LRA, all in a move to try to intimidate the LRA into signing
the so called "peace talks in Juba".
The fact is fellow citizens, the rebels have taken 21 years to fight for what they believe in. They are not about to sacrifice that in the alter of political expediency to try and please Museveni and his NRM.
What needs to happen is that the NRM and the LRA need to pursue genuine peace talks in Juba, marked by mutual respect for one other. LRA demand for which they have fought for 21 years MUST BE ADDRESSED!..
..otherwise, political observers do not see any avenue for Uganda to experience peace.
matek
Uganda: The LRA is Not Serious
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New Vision (Kampala)
OPINION
October 21, 2006
Posted to the web October 23, 2006
October 21, 2006
Posted to the web October 23, 2006
Mary Karooro Okurut
Kampala
Kampala
THE cold-blooded massacre of more than 40 people by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in Southern Sudan raises fundamental questions as to whether the rebels are
interested in talking peace.
A few weeks ago, such mistrust would have been dismissed as silly attempts to derail the Juba peace talks and the product of a pessimistic and defeatist mind.
But with two or three attacks in as many days, and with such grisly results, the would-be pessimists are now looking around with an I-told-you-so eye.
Innocent civilians and two or so soldiers of both the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) are dead; but somehow the talks are still on. Does this make sense?
No it does not; it only serves to show how keen the Uganda Government is to talk peace with the rebels in spite of these murders, and also how patient President Yoweri Museveni actually is. The President, who wants to go to Juba personally, has chosen to behave like a father who is patiently restraining his righteous anger,
hesitating to punish a wild and aberrant son and choosing to talk him into sense instead.
When the peace talks began, many Ugandans were outraged by the rather unrealistic demands of the rebels and immediately started questioning their commitment to the talks.
Demands for one army (UPDF) to be restricted to the south and LRA to control the north are outright ridiculous; just like asking for 40% of higher army ranks and cabinet posts and a huge chunk of the Judiciary and statutory bodies.
The LRA has failed to appreciate the background to these talks: that they are criminals who have massacred innocent people for many years and the Government is being magnanimous in talking to them.
Besides, the Government has gone out of its way to grant them amnesty, promising resettlement packages and re-integration into the community.
No decent
government would go this far, to the extent of sitting at the same table with them and talking peace in the face of all these atrocities.
But the LRA has disregarded all this magnanimity and gone ahead to make demands with cocky airs of infallibility and innocence. They have taken unscheduled and unconscionable breaks to "consult", sometimes to "mourn" and of recent, some of them went to cool off in Kenya in the name of a holiday - as their soldier boys mowed down innocent civilians.
Strange coincidence that the attacks come on the heels of an order by LRA Number Two Vincent Otti to his men to get food "by all means, wherever they can".
Whereas the Government has gone out of its way to keep the talks going, the LRA has gone out of its way to show defiance and defeatism.
Ugandans should now be asking whether we need any further evidence of the reluctance of
Joseph Kony's men to see peace return to this country.
Disregarding the olive branch and resorting to violence of this nature is deplorable. Equally deplorable is the LRA's choice of cowardly military habits, attacking defenceless and innocent people who have done and intend no harm at all. Decent people do not kill civilians who are trying to work hard for a living and are simply returning to their families. And we cannot achieve our much-longed-for peace when the LRA are busy pretending to talk peace while
continuing with murder.
The Government has shown its interest and commitment to the peace process. The rebels too must come clean and follow through on the obligations imposed on them by their signing of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement in August. Peace has a real chance. Let us not wreck it by painting the land red with blood.
The writer is the Bushenyi Woman MP and NRM spokesperson
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