UN to rubber stamp LRA surrender?
Indications that the Uganda Government wants the UN to monitor any ceasefire agreement that it reaches with the LRA appears good on the face of it. The main problem however is that the Uganda Government wants first of all to negotiate on its own terms, demanding that the LRA declares its fighters' positions, amount and types of weapons to it and not the UN. This approach is tantamount to asking the UN and the international community to basically rubber stamp and oversee the final stages of the surrender of the LRA. The fact that the Uganda Government is now protesting against the inclusion of religious and elected leaders from Acholi as observers by claiming that they are 'opposition' elements clearly underlines the insincere approach of the Uganda Government to these talks. People of Nortehern Uganda elected their leaders according to their choice. The fact that the leaders they elected, like Mao, Ogenga-Latigo etc are not from Museveni's National Resistance Movement is no excuse for preventing them from playing a role in settling a problem that has affected theit constituents for over 20 years. Moreover, the Government must really be ashamed of trying to exclude the religious leaders who for years have fought for a peaceful settlement to this conflict whilst Government opted for the use of miltary force at the expense of innocent lives.