Chissano appeals for humility to kick-start the stalled peace talks

Apr 30, 2007

FRIDAY the 13th is reputed to be a bad day but that is the day former President Joachim Chissano of Mozambique chose to lead two helicopterloads of people into another bush meeting with the LRA leadership in Ri-Kwang-Ba.

LETTER FROM GULU - Nobert Mao

FRIDAY the 13th is reputed to be a bad day but that is the day former President Joachim Chissano of Mozambique chose to lead two helicopterloads of people into another bush meeting with the LRA leadership in Ri-Kwang-Ba.

We touched down in Nabanga at 11:10am. The weather was cool. It had rained. This time there was no fuss about security and the LRA leaders were punctual. At 11:30 am Chissano rose and asked for humility as a way of overcoming the egoistical tendencies that may crop up. Bishop Ochola said a short prayer. The atmosphere was extremely businesslike.

Chissano told the gathering that the first time he met Alphonso Dlakama of the RENAMO fame, the Mozambican peace talks had lasted several months. At that meeting Chissano did not shake hands with the rebel leader. “I just looked at him,” Chissano said. “I then asked him, “do you want peace?” He said, ‘Yes’. Then we shook hands. That was the day the Mozambican peace was sealed. What followed were mere details and formalities”.

He then asked Dr. Rugunda and Joseph Kony to step forward and shake hands. The two came forward and shook hands heartily. They cut a nice figure.

Chissano then introduced the AU observers. This time Mr. Ali Siwa and Ambassador Gituji came representing the governments of Tanzania and Kenya, respectively. Chissano said the purpose of the meeting was to discuss only two items, namely the resumption of the talks and the extension of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA).
“I hope we will not leave this place without signing the document which extends the COHA,” he said.

Chissano then invited Kony to make a statement. This was in order because the previous meeting ended while Kony still had the floor. Kony thanked Rugunda for being a patient man who could make another trip to the bush despite not having had a chance to speak during the previous meeting.

He then said his commitment to peace could be seen in his appeal to Chissano to convene the meetings intended to kick-start the talks and also in his showing up dutifully each time a visiting delegation wished to see him.
He questioned the Uganda government’s commitment to the talks. He also wondered why The Government of South Sudan had threatened the LRA.

“You all know that we suspended the talks because South Sudan’s President threatened to expel the LRA yet he was the one who agreed to host the talks,” he said. “Joachim Chissano, you know that I was the one who reached out to you in order to rescue the talks. No one else did anything to revive the process. The Uganda government did not do anything to rescue the talks,” he added.

He then called for a commitment from Uganda and SPLA that they will not attack his forces. He called for a meeting of Ugandans without any foreigners. “It is we Ugandans who can sort out the conflict in Uganda. Others may not know the root causes,” he said.

“Let me assure you Chissano that on our part as LRA we have complete trust in you. We want total peace in our country,” he ended.

It was then 12:20pm. Dr. Rugunda then took the floor. “We have started well. The environment is certainly much better than last time,” he started. “Let it be known here and now that the Government of Uganda has no equivocation about the peace process. Its commitment is total,” he added. He then accepted the proposal for a meeting of Ugandans. He said Ugandans are in the best position to understand the historical context of the conflict.

“Why should Ugandans continue to bother everybody? It is a shame!” he cried. He expressed concern about the LRA’s failure to assemble and the fact that the talks had stalled. “As far as the Government of Uganda is concerned, the talks never collapsed. It is the LRA that unilaterally walked away from Juba,” he said.

He admitted that confidence building had been a problem and that it takes time for each side to deal with suspicions. He nevertheless said that the government was waiting for the LRA to come home. “You have your own country. Why should you be in Congo?”

Chissano then took the floor again. This time he started by quoting the bible. Alluding to the well known verses of Ecclesiastes 3, he said that there is a time to hate and a time to love, a time for misunderstanding and a time for harmony, a time to cry, a time to laugh, a time to suffer, a time to enjoy, a time for war, a time for peace. The cadence of his little sermon was elevating indeed.
“This is the time for peace,” he said at the end of his biblical allusion. He then asked Machar to speak.

Machar said the Government of South Sudan was committed that the conflict in northern Uganda should come to an end. He reminded the LRA of their first meeting on May 3, 2006. “At that meeting, I told the LRA that after we have committed ourselves to mediate the talks, we would not tolerate abductions and attacks on civilians,” he said.

He explained the outbursts by Salva Kiir and Bashir as justifiable lamentations motivated by a desire for peace rather than any other motive. He also reminded the LRA of the risk that the Government of South Sudan took by giving money to the LRA saying they were about to be sanctioned by some hardliners in the international community.

They had to launch a diplomatic offensive to explain it by saying that one cannot expect Joseph Kony to control the LRA when they are hungry. “But we continue to get reports of the LRA movements in Eastern Equatoria, looting food,” he lamented. He then admitted that assembling in Owiny Ki Bul had been problematic and it should be renegotiated.

He said that if assembling in Ri-Kwang-Ba will bring peace then the Government of South Sudan has no objection to it. He applauded the parties for requesting to be left alone.

Others who spoke were Okello Okello, Rwot Achana and Archbishop Odama. The latter reminded the parties how Jesus cursed the fig tree that did not bear fruit.“Will the LRA and the Uganda government bring forth the fruit of peace?” he asked.

Francisco Madeira spoke for the AU team. “Our instruction is to be at your disposal. We are expected to recognise your capacity to solve your problems and we are to speak as little as possible.”
One of the sticking issues was that of allowances. The LRA are given out-of- pocket allowance of $70 per day that they claimed was inadequate. Chissano said the issue is delicate because it depends on the donors to the Juba Fund.

He however said he had put the LRA case and had secured some concessions. The LRA would have their allowance increase by $50 per day to cater for communication. However the delegation had to be trimmed to no more than 15 at any given time.

Furthermore, the allowance would only be paid when the delegation were actually engaged in talks and not during recess. Chissano also assured the LRA that the Secretariat of the talks will be better set up.
We then broke for lunch.

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