No more excuses for Joseph Kony
Dec 12, 2006
THE Lord’s Resistance Army chief Joseph Kony has promised peace after a visit by his mother to the rebel hide-out in Garamba forest in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
THE Lord’s Resistance Army chief Joseph Kony has promised peace after a visit by his mother to the rebel hide-out in Garamba forest in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Kony, who has for the past two decades waged a vicious rebellion in northern Uganda, has always doubted Government’s commitment to a negotiated settlement to the insurgency that has seen thousands killed, hundreds maimed and up to two million people displaced.
While Government has already made a number of concessions to the rebels at the on-going peace process in Juba, Southern Sudan, the sending of Kony’s mother to Garamba at the request of his son is, no doubt, a clear demonstration of Government’s readiness to end the insurgency at all costs. It is now Kony’s turn to reciprocate the good gesture by returning to the negotiating table and quickly concluding the comprehensive peace agreement to end the 20-year insurgency so that rehabilitation of the north can proceed in earnest.
It is a well-documented fact that the Government of Uganda has always kept its side of the bargain in the on-going negotiations being brokered by the Government of Southern Sudan. It has created safe passages to enable the rebels assemble in Southern Sudan. Their demand for direct talks with the President has also been fulfilled and a request that UPDF withdraws from some parts of Southern Sudan has been granted. What more demonstration of commitment do they need now?
Kony should know that his demand that the International Criminal Court indictments are dropped can only be a trade off on signing the comprehensive peace agreement. Before the agreement is signed and the rebels are out of the bush, the Government has no evidence to present and try to persuade the Hague-based court to drop the indictments.
The Government has done its part. It is now up to Kony to demonstrate that he is also committed to returning peace to his homeland.
Kony, who has for the past two decades waged a vicious rebellion in northern Uganda, has always doubted Government’s commitment to a negotiated settlement to the insurgency that has seen thousands killed, hundreds maimed and up to two million people displaced.
While Government has already made a number of concessions to the rebels at the on-going peace process in Juba, Southern Sudan, the sending of Kony’s mother to Garamba at the request of his son is, no doubt, a clear demonstration of Government’s readiness to end the insurgency at all costs. It is now Kony’s turn to reciprocate the good gesture by returning to the negotiating table and quickly concluding the comprehensive peace agreement to end the 20-year insurgency so that rehabilitation of the north can proceed in earnest.
It is a well-documented fact that the Government of Uganda has always kept its side of the bargain in the on-going negotiations being brokered by the Government of Southern Sudan. It has created safe passages to enable the rebels assemble in Southern Sudan. Their demand for direct talks with the President has also been fulfilled and a request that UPDF withdraws from some parts of Southern Sudan has been granted. What more demonstration of commitment do they need now?
Kony should know that his demand that the International Criminal Court indictments are dropped can only be a trade off on signing the comprehensive peace agreement. Before the agreement is signed and the rebels are out of the bush, the Government has no evidence to present and try to persuade the Hague-based court to drop the indictments.
The Government has done its part. It is now up to Kony to demonstrate that he is also committed to returning peace to his homeland.