Regional conference on cross-border peacebuilding
Archbishop Odama of the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative and other participants from Sudan and DRC discuss ways forward to end the LRA conflict
More than 70 civil society leaders and representatives are calling on the Ugandan government and Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) to return to the negotiating table, and for the international community to support the process.
The group from northern Uganda, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) met at our regional peacebuilding conference in Gulu district, Uganda in March 2009. It includes politicians, religious and traditional leaders, ex-combatants, media and NGO workers.
Many attended because they wanted to better understand the 23-year conflict and discuss how to protect their communities from the LRA's violence. All agreed that "peace will not come through the barrel of the gun" and are making the following recommendations on ways forward to end the conflict.
Recommendations on ways forward to end the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) conflict and build lasting peace
- a new peace process needs to be urgently constructed, with an explicit regional approach
- an independent body should evaluate the Juba peace process, including its achievements and issues of participation, and make recommendations for the next phase of Ugandan government/ LRA negotiations
- any future peace process should be more inclusive and should consult men, women and youth in each affected country to ensure all important issues are on the negotiation agenda
- there is an urgent need to undertake research that enables better understanding of Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army’s national and international support networks
- civil society and other stakeholders should be careful to use conflict sensitive language in their advocacy efforts
To regional governments:
- governments and their respective security forces must urgently find ways of better protecting their citizens (particularly women and children) from future LRA attacks, including strengthening emergency response mechanisms and where possible, supporting communities to make themselves less vulnerable to violence
- while important peacebuilding work has been done over the past 22 years activities (including work on inter-community dialogue and reconciliation initiatives) this should be stepped up by government and civil society alike
- opportunities to promote social interaction and peaceful coexistence among people affected by conflict should be supported
- governments need to raise their own standards of governance and commit themselves to more power-sharing
- our respective borders need to be better managed and made more secure
- a regional body should be constituted to monitor and help address disputes that arise during cross-border trade.
To the Ugandan government:
- the LRA now poses a regional security threat, thus the Ugandan government should take the lead in seeking a solution to stop its atrocities through diplomacy and in close cooperation with regional governments
- a more fulsome explanation is required of the decision to pull out from DR Congo as well as plans for the way forward
- return to the negotiation table and resume the peace process, suspending offensive military operations and this time involve all ‘stakeholders’
- honor commitments made in the draft peace agreement with or without the signature of Joseph Kony.
To the international community:
- the basic needs of displaced and vulnerable people in DRC, South Sudan and Central African Republic should be urgently addressed by humanitarian organizations
- develop comprehensive reconstruction and development programmes for affected areas, and where these already exist (eg the Peace, Development and Recovery Plan in Uganda), ensure they are implemented in a transparent and participatory manner
- the UN special envoy for LRA-affected areas should be asked to help revive the peace talks
- call upon the ICC to adopt a better approach to pursuing justice in Uganda, Sudan and DRC, and specifically to return jurisdiction to the Ugandan judicial system for trying the LRA leadership in line with arrangements spelled out in the draft Final Peace Agreement (to which the Ugandan government is a signatory)
- to investigate the planning and execution of Operation Lightning Thunder and identify lessons learned for future regional joint-security operations.
To the LRA/Movement:
- to stop their violence in neighboring countries and return to the peace talks
To civil society organizations in the region
- a regional, independent delegation drawn from religious and traditional leaders and other respected members of civil society, with financial support, should form a task force mandated to engage with the four governments and the LRA to help restart the peace process
- regional civil society organizations have the numbers, strength and power to hold our governments to account without fear but we need to develop shared strategies for the short and long term and agree who leads on what
- there is an urgent need for better regional peacebuilding dialogue and cooperation, communication, joint advocacy and networking. These should build on and promote exchanges between existing cross-border peacebuilding networks and initiatives (notably those supported by Conciliation Resources, Mennonite Central Committee, and IKV Pax Cristi among others).
- advocate for peaceful resolution of all conflicts and urge our governments to build peace by peaceful means, using force only as a last resort
- call for formal communiqué from the government on the status of Operation Lightning Thunder to give way for resumption of the talks
- given that social reconciliation is a long process, civil society peacebuilding organizations need to focus not only on issues of security and forgiveness but also on truth and justice. We need to develop a clear and shared vision, strategies and objectives on how to pursue these.
- strengthen international efforts to engage with and persuade LRA supporters at the national, regional and international levels to return to the negotiating table
- civil society needs to continue to raise awareness of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Rome Statute, and also use the upcoming ICC review conference to redefine its future role in the peace process
CONCILIATION RESOURCES (CR)
Civil Society Joint Analysis Workshop St. Monica – Gulu, 16 – 18 March 2009
PARTICIPANTS
- Ms Laloyo Stella - Gulu University
- Akello Frances -Teso Cultural Union
- Retired Bishop Mark Baker Ochola - Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative
- Hon Hannah Lona - Member of South Sudan Legislative Assembly
- Andy Carl - Conciliation Resources, UK
- Amber George - Speaker - Koboko District Council Uganda
- Niamh Browne - Grassroots Reconciliation Group
- Cosmas Lam -Change Foundation
- Stephen Kamoyangi - UNICEF /Community Leader
- Gam Harman - Mennonite Central Committee, Kampala
- Chief Simon Lokaji - Juba County, South Sudan
- Paramount Chief Wani Vitaliano - Juba County, South Sudan
- Chief Bullen Abiatara - Mudri County, South Sudan
- Drici Sunday Phillip - Youth Rep. Magwi County, South Sudan
- Francis Vuciri Amoko - chief representative, Mugual Payam, South Sudan
- Ruino Mugisha B - Freelance photographer
- Okwonga Yusuf Adek - member LRA Juba talks peace team
- Dale Herman - Mennonite Central Committee - Kampala Uganda
- Aber Margaret - Justice and Peace Commission, Gulu Uganda
- Cosmas Ojara - Radio Mega FM Gulu, Uganda
- Opira Sylvester - Deputy RDC, President’s Office - Kitgum
- Archbishop John Baptist Odama - Chairman Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative
- Oola Stephen - Refugee Law project
- Nyeko James - Programme Director, Acholi Religious Leaders Peace initiative
- Rwot Latim Geresome - Traditional Leader - Ker Kwaro Acholi, Uganda
- Rwot Ogik Benjamin - Traditional Leader - Ker Kwaro Acholi, Uganda
- Adrawa Lawrence - ADPI
- Olaa Ambrose - USAID Kampala Uganda
- Sam Lawino - journalist Daily Monitor newspaper, Uganda
- David Otim - Mennonite Central Committee, Kampala, Uganda
- Mgr Constantine Pitgo - Juba Catholic Church
- Hon. Awate Esther John - Southern Sudan State Legislative Assembly
- Mr. Tiberious Lecca - Sudan Council of Churches
- Taban Charles John - Southern Sudan Peace Commission - Juba
- Chief Thomas Taban M - Juba South Sudan
- Cherop Esther - Jami Ya Kupatanisha
- Opira Robert - GLACCR
- Peter Sabiiti - Alliance Francaise - Kampala
- Bishop Bismark - M. A - E C S Diocese of Magwi South Sudan
- Francisca Mugera- Alliance Francaise - Kampala
- Jim Long John -Totto Chan Child Trauma Centre, Juba South Sudan
- Micah Oloya Olweny - Traditional Leader, Magui County South Sudan
- Rwot Oywak Joseph - Traditional Chief, Pajule Pader District Uganda
- Jean Ngamakulu Ngimosa - civil society representative Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo-DRC
- Wade George S - Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative Uganda
- Hussein Mudhir - The African PACT
- Lanyero Karima Obina - Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative
- Okumu Langol - NPF news
- Ojara M Mapenduzi - Speaker, Gulu District Local Government Council
- Zacharia C Lado - Totto Chan Centre, Juba, South Sudan
- Bishop Eluzai Munda - The Episcopal Church of Sudan
- Hon. Ufondi Ndima Fibel - SSLA/Peace & Reconciliation Committee
- Catherine Machobi- ACIAR-RHA/Bunia - Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
- Arouna Sambia - Civil Society representative of Dungu, Eastern DRC
- Jeane Napuma - Vice Pres. DUNAMIOVE FEM PAI - Dungu, DRC
- Jean Ngamakulu - Civil Society of Dungu, Eastern DRC
- Vuine Ginilunga - Civil Spciety of Dungu, RDC
- Pierre M. Mopendo- Inter-Religious Council - DRC
- Cecile Tshibanda Lepipa - Women of Faith Network
- Patience Aber - journalist Daily Monitor Newspaper
- Joe Wacha - Uganda Radio Network
- Anena Lucy Latim - Civil Society Organization for Peace in N.U (CSOPNU)
- Rwot Otinga Atuka- Deputy Paramount Chief - KKA Uganda
- Justin Moro - The New Vision Newspaper, Uganda
- Kitara McMot - Vice Chairman - Gulu District Local Government
- Okot Norbert Kizito - Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative, Uganda
- Msgr. Mathew Odong - Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative, Uganda
- John Opio - Choice Radio FM 92.1 - Amuru, Uganda
- Juliana Amal Obonyo - KGL Consultants
- James Ojera Latigo - CR Support Consultant Uganda
- Kennedy Tumutegyereize -Conciliation Resources UK
