Peace to return to the north in 2005
Dec 29, 2004
PERSPECTIVE OF A UGANDAN IN CANADA<br><br>Time flies is a well worn cliché, but 2004 did rumble by very quickly. The majority of predictions made in this column on New Year Eve on Wednesday, December 31, 2003, were right on the money. The continuing saga in northern Uganda was predicted as was t
PERSPECTIVE OF A UGANDAN IN CANADA
Opiyo Oloya
Time flies is a well worn cliché, but 2004 did rumble by very quickly. The majority of predictions made in this column on New Year Eve on Wednesday, December 31, 2003, were right on the money. The continuing saga in northern Uganda was predicted as was the relative stability in the DRC coalition government of Joseph Kabila.
The only prediction that was off-side was about Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, who was supposed to disappear in 2004. Not only is Mugabe very much alive, but his dictatorial grip on power grows ever so stronger.
However, the biggest score for the column was the prediction of George Bush’s second term victory and war in Iraq. This is what I wrote then:
“Expect President George to be re-elected to a second term, mainly on account of scared Americans worried about terrorism and lack of a strong Democratic Party candidate. However, there will be no let up on attacks against coalition forces in Iraq...â€
Well, all that has come to pass.
Though the invasion of Iraq was supposed to be a fight against terrorism, it has created a terror all of its own, with thousands of Iraqi and over 2,000 very young Americans dead and hundreds of thousands wounded. Stay tuned, this thing is not over.
In 2005, America will score a coup by finally getting Osama Bin Laden and his top aides-he is well hidden, but the world has become so small that you can literally find a needle in a haystack.
Yet, Bush will experience failure by abandoning Iraq to its own devices, walking away from the mess that he created. Naturally, with the Americans gone, Iraq will descend into the very depth of hell as various religious factions open on each other. Expect America to ratchet up the noise against Iran, which continues the not-so-subtle effort to go nuclear.
On the northern Uganda crisis, 2005 could be the year that peace finally returns to this once vibrant region. There are signs that Joseph Kony’s LRA rebels are tired of fighting and want to talk. The problem remains that of building trust so that constructive peace dialogue can finally take place. The tireless efforts of Betty Bigombe notwithstanding, the rebels are extremely wary of being lured, trapped and finished off as happened to Angolan rebel leader Jonas Savimbi in February 2002.
Though the Government has made good opening overtures to the rebels, there are additional steps that must be undertaken in order to build trust. Foremost, the army must tone down the rhetoric, which tends to inspire fear rather than trust from the rebels. You do not hurl verbal grenades at those you have invited to the table.
Secondly, the Government must reactivate all the vital links with the rebels to bring them to the table. One such link is Ladit Yusufu Adek, who has a proven track record of creating confidence and trust with the LRA. Though unknown to many Ugandans, Adek was very instrumental in providing the critical bridge that brought Kony and the Government to the 1993-1994 peace talks. To do that, he spent a whole month with the rebels. Kony trusted him enough to pose with him in a picture taken in the bush.
Adek proved his worth to that process when the peace talk hit a snag, and he rushed from Lacor Hospital, where he was admitted, flown by army helicopter to Cwero army detachment and eventually to the bush, where he met Kony and was able to bring the talks back on track.
Why am I telling you all this? Adek, who is a resident of Gulu town, is currently in legal limbo because of a case dating back to August 2, 2002 when he was arrested for being a rebel collaborator. He spent the next one year in Kigo Prison.
Though he was never tried in court, he languished in jail until he was released exactly a year later on court bail. He suspects that his arrest stems from his involvement in the 1993-1994 peace talks.
What’s puzzling is that he was at the time in constant touch with the division army commander, Wasswa and the peace team led by resident minister of the north Bigombe.
As matter stands now, Adek is the only key to talking directly with Kony. However, in order for him to return to his role as a peace builder, his continuing legal saga must end.
He needs to be free from the shackles that have seen him confined to his fish farm in Gulu, and asked to report monthly to Buganda Road Court in Kampala.
It only stands to reason that Adek be immediately cleared of those charges, given clearance to travel to Sudan to begin the process of building the trust with Joseph Kony. This will supplement and support the efforts already under way by Betty Bigombe. With this final initiative, the government will ensure that 2005 will be the year that finally brings peace to northern Uganda.
Opiyo.oloya@sympatico.ca
Opiyo Oloya
Time flies is a well worn cliché, but 2004 did rumble by very quickly. The majority of predictions made in this column on New Year Eve on Wednesday, December 31, 2003, were right on the money. The continuing saga in northern Uganda was predicted as was the relative stability in the DRC coalition government of Joseph Kabila.
The only prediction that was off-side was about Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, who was supposed to disappear in 2004. Not only is Mugabe very much alive, but his dictatorial grip on power grows ever so stronger.
However, the biggest score for the column was the prediction of George Bush’s second term victory and war in Iraq. This is what I wrote then:
“Expect President George to be re-elected to a second term, mainly on account of scared Americans worried about terrorism and lack of a strong Democratic Party candidate. However, there will be no let up on attacks against coalition forces in Iraq...â€
Well, all that has come to pass.
Though the invasion of Iraq was supposed to be a fight against terrorism, it has created a terror all of its own, with thousands of Iraqi and over 2,000 very young Americans dead and hundreds of thousands wounded. Stay tuned, this thing is not over.
In 2005, America will score a coup by finally getting Osama Bin Laden and his top aides-he is well hidden, but the world has become so small that you can literally find a needle in a haystack.
Yet, Bush will experience failure by abandoning Iraq to its own devices, walking away from the mess that he created. Naturally, with the Americans gone, Iraq will descend into the very depth of hell as various religious factions open on each other. Expect America to ratchet up the noise against Iran, which continues the not-so-subtle effort to go nuclear.
On the northern Uganda crisis, 2005 could be the year that peace finally returns to this once vibrant region. There are signs that Joseph Kony’s LRA rebels are tired of fighting and want to talk. The problem remains that of building trust so that constructive peace dialogue can finally take place. The tireless efforts of Betty Bigombe notwithstanding, the rebels are extremely wary of being lured, trapped and finished off as happened to Angolan rebel leader Jonas Savimbi in February 2002.
Though the Government has made good opening overtures to the rebels, there are additional steps that must be undertaken in order to build trust. Foremost, the army must tone down the rhetoric, which tends to inspire fear rather than trust from the rebels. You do not hurl verbal grenades at those you have invited to the table.
Secondly, the Government must reactivate all the vital links with the rebels to bring them to the table. One such link is Ladit Yusufu Adek, who has a proven track record of creating confidence and trust with the LRA. Though unknown to many Ugandans, Adek was very instrumental in providing the critical bridge that brought Kony and the Government to the 1993-1994 peace talks. To do that, he spent a whole month with the rebels. Kony trusted him enough to pose with him in a picture taken in the bush.
Adek proved his worth to that process when the peace talk hit a snag, and he rushed from Lacor Hospital, where he was admitted, flown by army helicopter to Cwero army detachment and eventually to the bush, where he met Kony and was able to bring the talks back on track.
Why am I telling you all this? Adek, who is a resident of Gulu town, is currently in legal limbo because of a case dating back to August 2, 2002 when he was arrested for being a rebel collaborator. He spent the next one year in Kigo Prison.
Though he was never tried in court, he languished in jail until he was released exactly a year later on court bail. He suspects that his arrest stems from his involvement in the 1993-1994 peace talks.
What’s puzzling is that he was at the time in constant touch with the division army commander, Wasswa and the peace team led by resident minister of the north Bigombe.
As matter stands now, Adek is the only key to talking directly with Kony. However, in order for him to return to his role as a peace builder, his continuing legal saga must end.
He needs to be free from the shackles that have seen him confined to his fish farm in Gulu, and asked to report monthly to Buganda Road Court in Kampala.
It only stands to reason that Adek be immediately cleared of those charges, given clearance to travel to Sudan to begin the process of building the trust with Joseph Kony. This will supplement and support the efforts already under way by Betty Bigombe. With this final initiative, the government will ensure that 2005 will be the year that finally brings peace to northern Uganda.
Opiyo.oloya@sympatico.ca