Maravi

Bishop blames Museveni for escalation of Uganda civil war

Bishop blames Museveni for escalation of Uganda civil war
By Mwala Kalaluka
Friday July 04, 2008 [04:00]

A Roman Catholic Archbishop from Northern Uganda has blamed President Yoweri Museveni's government for the escalation of civil war in that part of the country. In his presentation to the ongoing Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) plenary assembly in Lusaka yesterday, Archbishop John Baptist Odama of Gulu Archdiocese said the Ugandan government downplayed the intensity of the two-decade conflict.

"We have learnt that unless we are able to transform conflict through a proactive approach, it is more likely that conflict will transform itself in a manner that even challenges the management of it by the parties to the very conflict," Archbishop Odama said. "The northern Uganda conflict could have taken a shorter time to resolve if the international community were given correct and timely information."

Archbishop Odama said if the Ugandan government had not downplayed the intensity of the conflict that has caused untold suffering in his Archdiocese, it would not have assumed the current international dimension.

"The effects of the northern Uganda Lord Resistance Army (LRA) conflict have now affected parts of southern Sudan, eastern DRC and reportedly parts of Central Africa Republic. The conflict remains a serious threat to the enjoyment of peace in the Great Lakes Region," he said. "The greatest single lesson learnt from the northern Uganda conflict is that no conflict in the world is too small or too big to warrant intervention of the international community through the august body, the United Nation."

Archbishop Odama said having lived through this conflict situation, which was characterised by killing, mayhem, abduction of minors, rape and pillage among other vices, he had learnt that it could not be resolved without the involvement of individuals.

"My brother prelates will agree with me that as part of resolution to any conflict big or small the theme as coined 'reconciliation, through justice and peace' for this assembly must always be at the very core of all possible solutions," said Archbishop Odama. "In the case of northern Uganda armed conflict, as a way forward we suggest the following; that together with the peace loving sections of the international community, we continue to pursue the path of peaceful resolution in the northern Uganda conflict as opposed to any futile military strategy. The voices of the voiceless should not be ignored since the very communities will have to co-exist in harmony as part of the post-conflict."

LRA leader Joseph Kony has been fighting the Ugandan armed forces in the 22-year northern Uganda conflict.

Labels: UGANDA, YOWERI MUSEVENI

posted by MrK @ 4:18 AM