[allAfrica.com]   [Africa_2003]


A People's War

New Vision (Kampala)
COLUMN
August 12, 2003
Posted to the web August 12, 2003
Kampala
JOSEPH Kony's LRA rebels are facing an unprecedented hostile environment. In
Teso the people set up the Arrow Group to curb rebel attacks and infiltration
into the region. Now the Langi have mooted the Amuka (Rhino) defence voluntary
force to fight the rebels.
It is bad news for Kony; a people's war against LRA is forming. Tired of being
soft targets, the people are now volunteering to assist the army end the
rebellion. This should put to shame laid-back politicians kicking government
for failing to end the war but silent about LRA's brutality towards innocent
civilians.
Silence, as an opposition strategy against the Government is wrong. It's time
to change.
Criticising and blaming the Government for the 16-year war is fine. But whoever
does so should come out with better alternatives to deal with the insurgency.
The Government has, besides the military option, tried out other means like the
amnesty and presidential pardon of 1987-1992 which the LRA wasted. The rebels
failed the 1993-1994 peace talks.
The Government set up a peace team last year to negotiate, but the LRA has not
reciprocated. Instead, the LRA frustrated the Government team's attempts to
meet its leaders in April this year. The LRA failed to honour its own ceasefire
declaration and that extended by the Government early this year.
Above all, the Amnesty Act allows LRA fighters to seek pardon and be resettled.
What else should the Government do?
A popular uprising should be the final solution to Kony's intransigence. True,
it's the Government's business to fight insurgency. But it is a responsibility
of every person to contribute. For this to be possible, politicians and local
leaders must mobilise the people. It started in Teso, now it is in Lango, next
should be Acholi and gradually the whole nation should be armed to end this
Kony nonsense.

   

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