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Africa Faith & Justice Network educates and advocates for a transformation of U.S. policies toward Africa. Grounded by a commitment to social justice, AFJN brings the most important issues affecting the people of Africa to our lawmakers in Washington, DC. We hope you will join us in our quest for peace and justice on the African continent by signing up and getting involved today!

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Write Congress to stop child abduction and war in northern Uganda!

November 22, 2009

Subject:

Please Support Northern Uganda Peace Process

I want to express my deep concern about the extreme humanitarian crisis in northern Uganda. For twenty years, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) has been fighting to overthrow the Government of Uganda. LRA rebels, based in southern Sudan, capture and use children as frontline soldiers and sex slaves, and more than 25,000 Ugandan children have been abducted for these purposes.

In response to LRA terror, the government has confined the people of northern Uganda to camps, a protection strategy that has been a gross failure. Approximately 1.7 million people have been displaced to these squalid camps that lack food, clean water and sanitation. The UN and Ugandan Ministry of Health estimate that these conditions cause 1,000 people to die each week.

The peace talks currently underway between the Government of Uganda (GoU) and LRA are the best opportunity in over a decade to end the twenty-year war in northern Uganda. Since the end of last year, the Government of South Sudan (GoSS), by its own initiative, has offered to mediate and host these talks. The involvement of such a strategic third party mediator, coupled with the apparent openness of the LRA and GoU to end the war, and mounting pressure on all parties to resolve the conflict, gives this process serious potential to succeed in both ending active violence and providing a framework to address deeper social and political grievances.

Yet, the current talks have stalled because both parties lack confidence in the process. The LRA has threatened to pull out of talks because of concerns about ICC arrests, lack of a ceasefire and partiality of the mediator. The GoU has refused to agree to a ceasefire, arguing that it should be part of a final comprehensive settlement.

For talks to proceed, elevated attention and more responsible policy is needed by the United States, donor countries and regional institutions. First, the international community can monitor the talks, holding actors accountable to the process. High-level monitoring can raise the profile of the talks, pressuring government representatives to remain fully committed to the success of negotiations. Second, donor governments can help build a peace dividend so that if an agreement is reached, the financial and political resources will be available for its implementation to the benefit of all parties involved. The return of displaced peoples, compensation of victims and reintegration of rebel fighters will require extensive international support.

The United States, as a non-signatory to the ICC and world power, can play a unique role in ensuring that this opportunity to end the war is engaged in full. By giving diplomatic backing to the process, the U.S. can support the mediation of the Southern Sudanese and help keep both parties at the table.  Therefore, I urge you to:

•	Call the State Department today and urge them to issue a public statement in support of the talks.
•	Hold hearings to examine the peace process and put forth recommendations for U.S. policy action.
•	Continue the effort that began in 2004 with the passage of the Northern Uganda Crisis Response Act (S.2264) to engage the Bush Administration through Congressional letters and phone calls with recommendations for engaging these peace talks.
•	Urge the Government of Uganda to continue its commitment to engaging peace talks and securing the return of all displaced peoples.
•	Enact legally binding legislation addressing the needs and recommendations to end this conflict.

I look forward to hearing from you about your plans to make sure this critical opportunity to end the war in northern Uganda is not lost.

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