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****** Uganda: Military Action is the Way Forward ******
Raymond Baguma
20 December 2008
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interview
Kampala — Last Sunday a joint force comprising the Uganda, Congo and South
Sudan armies launched an armed attack on the LRA that had established camps in
Garamba National Park in Congo. The raid has attracted criticism from some
northern Uganda MPs.
Raymond Baguma caught up with Otuke County MP and lands minister, Omara Atubo
and asked him why he disagrees with his colleagues.
In what capacity do you speak about the LRA and northern Uganda?
As a Member of Parliament for Otuke County, this is in Lira District, Lango
sub-region. Otuke has been the most affected and debilitated both by rebel
activities as well as cattle rustling. So our desire for peace is extremely
great because we have suffered for too long.
How has the LRA insurgency affected Lango?
The worst was in 2003 when Kony entered Lango through Otuke through to Teso. It
is important to note that when Kony came to Lango and Teso, people did not
negotiate. They took up arms under Amuka and Arrow boys and Kony was pushed out
of Lango, Teso and eventually Uganda.
There is relative peace in Lango, Teso, Karamoja and West Nile and life is
beginning to normalise. In Otuke, the people have left the camps and returned
home. But the biggest challenge now is for the Government to assist with
rebuilding peoples' lives. The peace has come as a result of struggle. By the
time Kony accepted to talk, he was no longer in Uganda.
What is your stand on Kony's refusal to sign the final peace agreement?
It is important to know that the problem of Kony is no longer a Ugandan issue.
It is a regional an international matter. This is because the human devastation
Kony is causing is in South Sudan, DR Congo and the Central African Republic is
unacceptable. I have always supported the peace process. The door for peace
negotiations with LRA should never be closed. But, I am disappointed by the
dillydallying and delaying tactics of Kony that have kept the people worried.
What was the gist of the minority report which you wrote about LRA?
A committee was instituted by Parliament to investigate the causes of the then
10-year-old northern Uganda war. The committee came up with a study of the
causes of the war looking at the history of underdevelopment, the colonial
neglect of the north and cattle rustling. What the committee missed was to urge
Government to open its door for peaceful negotiations. That is how Nobert Mao
and I came in with the minority report. We advised Government to resume
diplomatic contacts with Khartoum and use other countries to ensure that Kony's
support by Khartoum is undermined.
What are the people's worries?
People were asking: "Supposing Kony does not sign the final peace agreement,
will there be peace?" This is a fundamental question. Government has decided to
attack Kony, but there are people opposed to the operation. I am of the view
that we should give the Government opportunity, in its own wisdom, to decide to
solve this problem militarily. The challenge to Government is for them to prove
to Ugandans and the international community that this time it is prepared to
ensure Kony is destroyed and achieve permanent peace.
What should the Government of Uganda do, in order to succeed in the military
operation?
I urge the Government to ensure this operation succeeds because if it does not,
then it will just play in the hands of our enemies once again. The Government
and the military should ensure that there is no internal sabotage. Supporters
and sympathisers of Kony, who are opposed to the military means of resolving
conflict, may try to sabotage it by causing problems internally.
Who might sabotage the military operation?
Well, I am using the words "those who are opposed to the military attacks". But
I really want Ugandans to support this military attack as a country - to be
patriotic and nationalistic.
Does the Government know those people who are sabotaging the peace process?
Of course, the Government knows them. But it is dealing with the situation in a
more humane way. As long as they only shout, address press conferences, go on
radio talk shows, and so on. But Government would clamp down on them the moment
they pick up arms (to fight).
What measures will be taken against them?
I am not the security minister.
How do you expect Kony to return to sign the peace agreement when he is under
attack?
The door has been opened by the Government. Riek Machar (the chief negotiator)
has sent a message to him that there is a non-military base at Ri-kwangba where
he can go. And once he commits himself to signing the final peace agreement, I
am sure the Government would consider whether to end or continue with the
attack.
In your view, what did the Juba peace process fail to achieve?
The Government tried its best. In fact I am reliably informed President Yoweri
Museveni wanted to sign his part of the final peace agreement and leave the
other one for Kony. But the President was restrained and told that he could
only do that in Juba. The Uganda Government has taken its time and it is
exemplified by the previous peace negotiations. This is not the first armed
rebellion which the Government is trying to resolve through peaceful means.
The rebellions in Teso, Lango, and West Nile were ended through peaceful means.
Even part of the rebellion with ADF has been ended through peaceful means. The
record of Uganda government in using peaceful means to end conflict is well
documented. So, until LRA disarms, it means the alternative for war is always
there.
MP Okello Okello says the final peace agreement did not specify who to sign
first and President Museveni had reneged on the signing of the agreement.
People of the Okello Okello type are only playing in the hands of Kony.
President Museveni is a head of state and he is signing on behalf of a
Government and a State called Uganda and it is supposed to be at a formal
ceremony. The President has been on standby to travel to Juba to sign this
agreement. For the Okello Okello type to say such things is simply to encourage
Kony to be stubborn.
The President was ready to sign his part and take the other part to Kony. But
he was restrained that it should be in a formal ceremony. But Kony refused to
see Riek Machar and President Joaquim Chissano.
The turnaround of Kony in the last trip indicates that he was not in for peace
negotiations and the alternative was to force him. If Kony wants peace, the
door is not closed.
What are the views of Lango and Otuke on the military operation against Kony?
In Otuke we support this operation. We support the military operation and we
call upon the Government to ensure that this military operation is done to the
fullest level to realise permanent peace.
If peace is realised, all arguments by those opposed to the exercise will fall
by the wayside. It is the success which is going to determine the attitude of
Ugandans.
Why does Otuke (Lango) support the military operation?
It is because we think Kony has delayed signing the final peace agreement.
We also believe that as long as Kony remains armed, he is potentially dangerous
and will continue to be a menace. Therefore, he should be finished militarily.
There are suggestions that the peace process should not have been rushed. Given
that the LRA insurgency lasted 22 years, it should be accorded equal time for
negotiations to succeed.
That is a dangerous argument. You cannot allow the peace process to continue
for another 20 years. A long indefinite period is unacceptable, dangerous and
costly. It has the inbuilt danger of having the process interrupted.
From your assessment, will Kony sign the peace agreement?
I do not know. I do not have military information of what is on the ground.
Kony may or may not have been killed. It is too early for anybody to speculate
on this matter.
What parallels can be drawn from previous peace negotiations between government
with other rebel groups?
For the best method in the resolution of conflicts, the parties must come
together and sign an agreement peacefully. This happens everywhere in the
world. My prayer and hope has been that Kony must come and sign the peace
agreement. Past negotiations have proved permanent, concrete and successful.
The results are bold. That is why there is peace in Teso, Lango, and West Nile.
The Government and the rebels, who signed, were committed to those agreements
and there is peace in those areas. And we must thank them. They have been
absorbed in Government. Some of them are ministers, commanders in the UPDF;
some are in business. This is the history and experience we gain from pervious
peace negotiations.
If Kony is still out there marauding, what are the fears of the people of
Lango?
It is not only the fears of the people of Lango. The fears of Ugandans are that
the previous military attacks have not born fruit to bring permanent peace. Our
hope is that this time it will. Kony should not be allowed to sneak back into
Otuke or any part of Uganda and cause trouble.
Your last word.
You have heard some politicians from northern Uganda who have developed the
habit of talking about 'we from the north'. They should desist from claiming to
be speaking for the region. Let them speak for the people they are elected to
represent. The north is big including West Nile and Lango.
Of course, I welcome the unity of the people of the north and Uganda. And this
should come when we have a common forum, which we do not have in the north as
of now.
If we want to do this, it means we should bring all the political, religious
and cultural leaders together and then say that 'we leaders of the north.'
Copyright © 2008 New Vision. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica
Global Media (allAfrica.com).
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