By IPS Correspondents
NAIROBI, Jul 4 2003 (IPS)

Efforts by the government of Uganda to bring Joseph Kony of the Lord’s Resistance Army to the negotiating table for peace, are proving difficult.

Efforts by the government of Uganda to bring Joseph Kony of the Lord’s Resistance Army to the negotiating table for peace, are proving difficult.

According to Father Carlos Rodriguez of Minakulu Catholic Parish in Gulu, Northern Uganda, the government has been making efforts to speak peace with the rebel movement but nothing is forthcoming.

"The government negotiated a presidential peace theme in August last year but nothing happened. In March this year, it attempted to meet the rebels in the bush but the rebels didn’t show up," said Fr Rodriguez told IPS.

The religious fraternity in the north have also made attempts to talk peace with LRA, but that has nothing much has been achieved. "We have had 20 peace meetings with LRA since July 2002 and nothing has changed," he added.

Northern Uganda has been the LRA’s stronghold for a long time, but the rebels are moving fast to other areas, the latest captive being Soroti town in Eastern Uganda, one of the major towns the area.

Indeed, sources fear that with this development, the rebels may spread their tentacles to neighbouring Kampala, which is only 347 kilometres away, and replicate the situation in Northern Uganda.

The districts most affected there are Gulu, Kitgum and Pader, and the civilian population, mostly Acholi, which is largely resident in these areas, have borne the brunt of the suffering. "The Acholi are 1.2 million, and out of this, 850,000 are in camps," says the Catholic bishop, adding, "Many people near Gulu and Kitgum have fled into town due to insecurity."

Aid workers in the region say they mourn the humanitarian catastrophe created by the conflict. One million people have been displaced and malnutrition among children is just overwhelming. Besides, we have 25,000 children coming to churches to seek refuge," says Mads Oyen, UNICEF’s Child Protection Department official in Kampala.

"The education services in the district have broken down. Nothing is working. There are outbreaks of measles, and as the situation worsens, you cannot rule out other diseases," remarked Oyen on telephone.

Madeline Eisner, who has just returned from the region, describes the situation as "dramatic".

"There are some 20,000 "night stayers"-largely children streaming into Gulu and Kitgum town to sleep in hospital grounds and religious centres to avoid LRA abductions, a growing number of displacement camps and an upsurge in child abductions," says Madeline who is UNICEF’s Regional Communication Officer. The organisation estimates that 8,400 children have been abducted over the last 12 months.

Fr Rodriguez notes that the biggest abduction was in 1995 in Kitgum, where the rebels captured 800 children in August. But now, they seize 20 to 30 children per day.

LRA, which started it operations in 1988, has been launching massive attacks on children, raping, kidnapping, torturing and even murdering them. In addition to being beaten raped and forced to walk extremely long distances, abducted children are forced to participate in the killing of other children who attempt to escape.

Young girls are abducted as sex and labour slaves. Others are allegedly sold, traded or given as gifts by the LRA to arms dealers in neighbouring Sudan.

Many mothers weep at the loss of their children. Some were separated from their offspring many years ago. "I had three young children of ages 12, 10 and 6, who were taken from me in 1995. Up to today, I have no idea whether they are still alive or dead," wails Rosemary Omajong, who lives in a refugee camp in Kenya.

Reports say that about 80 percent of LRA’s estimated 12,000 troops, are children aged six to 17 years. In the process of the war, 8,000 have escaped or been released, bout more are abducted time and again.

According to Fr Rodriguez, "LRA targets children because they are easily manipulated and brutalised. They are also easy to order to commit atrocities."

But the rebels are also aiming at clergy in Northern Uganda. Fr Rodriguez points out that so far, they have killed two Catholic fathers in ambush, one in 1991 and the other in 2000.

"Since April this year, they have been targeting Catholic missions. They burnt down Omiya Anyima mission, after which they attacked Mathi Opeyi Catholic Mission, where they threw a bomb and attacked the clergy in charge. Had it not been for UPDF, he would have died. The rebels also entered Alito Catholic Mission and tried to cause chaos," recalls father Rodriguez.

Sources say that last year in September, LRA abducted two priests while this year, one parish priest of Alito mission was abducted and another of Gulu Cathedral attacked.

Three weeks ago, LRA leader Kony went onto the local radio network and ordered his troops to destroy church missions and kill all priests in northern Uganda. "Catholic missions must be destroyed, priests and missionaries killed in cold blood and nuns beaten black and blue," Kony was heard saying on the local radio network used by Catholic institutions in the war-torn area.

The clergy in that region are not taking this announcement lightly. "If Kony can kill innocent children, he can do anything. If he wants to destroy the morale of the people, he can target us because we offer services to the people," stated Rodriguez.

Anonymous sources have hinted that Kony is under fundamentalist influence of Muslim Arabs in Sudan who supply him with ammunition.

Ugandan authorities are now seeking clarification from the Sudanese government about allegations that pro-Khartoum militia units in southern Sudan have resumed the supply of arms to LRA, which is at war with Uganda’s government army, Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF). This has severed relations between the two countries.

LRA has been seeking to destabilise Uganda government for the last 16 years, on grounds that they wish to establish a government based on the Biblical Ten Commandments, as instructed by the "Holy Spirit".

Excerpt:

By IPS Correspondents
NAIROBI, Jul 3 2003 (IPS)

-Efforts by the government of Uganda to bring Joseph Kony of the Lord’s Resistance Army to the negotiating table for peace, are proving difficult.

According to Father Carlos Rodriguez of Minakulu Catholic Parish in Gulu, Northern Uganda, the government has been making efforts to speak peace with the rebel movement but nothing is forthcoming.

"The government negotiated a presidential peace theme in August last year but nothing happened. In March this year, it attempted to meet the rebels in the bush but the rebels didn’t show up," said Fr Rodriguez told IPS.

The religious fraternity in the north have also made attempts to talk peace with LRA, but that has nothing much has been achieved. "We have had 20 peace meetings with LRA since July 2002 and nothing has changed," he added.

Northern Uganda has been the LRA’s stronghold for a long time, but the rebels are moving fast to other areas, the latest captive being Soroti town in Eastern Uganda, one of the major towns the area.

Indeed, sources fear that with this development, the rebels may spread their tentacles to neighbouring Kampala, which is only 347 kilometres away, and replicate the situation in Northern Uganda.

The districts most affected there are Gulu, Kitgum and Pader, and the civilian population, mostly Acholi, which is largely resident in these areas, have borne the brunt of the suffering. "The Acholi are 1.2 million, and out of this, 850,000 are in camps," says the Catholic bishop, adding, "Many people near Gulu and Kitgum have fled into town due to insecurity."

Aid workers in the region say they mourn the humanitarian catastrophe created by the conflict. One million people have been displaced and malnutrition among children is just overwhelming. Besides, we have 25,000 children coming to churches to seek refuge," says Mads Oyen, UNICEF’s Child Protection Department official in Kampala.

"The education services in the district have broken down. Nothing is working. There are outbreaks of measles, and as the situation worsens, you cannot rule out other diseases," remarked Oyen on telephone.

Madeline Eisner, who has just returned from the region, describes the situation as "dramatic".

"There are some 20,000 "night stayers"-largely children streaming into Gulu and Kitgum town to sleep in hospital grounds and religious centres to avoid LRA abductions, a growing number of displacement camps and an upsurge in child abductions," says Madeline who is UNICEF’s Regional Communication Officer. The organisation estimates that 8,400 children have been abducted over the last 12 months.

Fr Rodriguez notes that the biggest abduction was in 1995 in Kitgum, where the rebels captured 800 children in August. But now, they seize 20 to 30 children per day.

LRA, which started it operations in 1988, has been launching massive attacks on children, raping, kidnapping, torturing and even murdering them. In addition to being beaten raped and forced to walk extremely long distances, abducted children are forced to participate in the killing of other children who attempt to escape.

Young girls are abducted as sex and labour slaves. Others are allegedly sold, traded or given as gifts by the LRA to arms dealers in neighbouring Sudan.

Many mothers weep at the loss of their children. Some were separated from their offspring many years ago. "I had three young children of ages 12, 10 and 6, who were taken from me in 1995. Up to today, I have no idea whether they are still alive or dead," wails Rosemary Omajong, who lives in a refugee camp in Kenya.

Reports say that about 80 percent of LRA’s estimated 12,000 troops, are children aged six to 17 years. In the process of the war, 8,000 have escaped or been released, bout more are abducted time and again.

According to Fr Rodriguez, "LRA targets children because they are easily manipulated and brutalised. They are also easy to order to commit atrocities."

But the rebels are also aiming at clergy in Northern Uganda. Fr Rodriguez points out that so far, they have killed two Catholic fathers in ambush, one in 1991 and the other in 2000.

"Since April this year, they have been targeting Catholic missions. They burnt down Omiya Anyima mission, after which they attacked Mathi Opeyi Catholic Mission, where they threw a bomb and attacked the clergy in charge. Had it not been for UPDF, he would have died. The rebels also entered Alito Catholic Mission and tried to cause chaos," recalls father Rodriguez.

Sources say that last year in September, LRA abducted two priests while this year, one parish priest of Alito mission was abducted and another of Gulu Cathedral attacked.

Three weeks ago, LRA leader Kony went onto the local radio network and ordered his troops to destroy church missions and kill all priests in northern Uganda. "Catholic missions must be destroyed, priests and missionaries killed in cold blood and nuns beaten black and blue," Kony was heard saying on the local radio network used by Catholic institutions in the war-torn area.

The clergy in that region are not taking this announcement lightly. "If Kony can kill innocent children, he can do anything. If he wants to destroy the morale of the people, he can target us because we offer services to the people," stated Rodriguez.

Anonymous sources have hinted that Kony is under fundamentalist influence of Muslim Arabs in Sudan who supply him with ammunition.

Ugandan authorities are now seeking clarification from the Sudanese government about allegations that pro-Khartoum militia units in southern Sudan have resumed the supply of arms to LRA, which is at war with Uganda’s government army, Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF). This has severed relations between the two countries.

LRA has been seeking to destabilise Uganda government for the last 16 years, on grounds that they wish to establish a government based on the Biblical Ten Commandments, as instructed by the "Holy Spirit". (ENDS/IPS/AF/EA/IP/JM/SM/03)

= 07030621 ORP003 NNNN

Excerpt: