Norway announced yesterday that it had pledged $1million to the UN's recently launched Juba Initiative Fund. The statement said a top Norwegian government official would visit the country this week "to express Norway's continued concern for the humanitarian situation" in northern Uganda. The UN has called for a total of $4.8million for the fund largely created to help pay for the costs of the mediation process. So far, the Netherlands has pledged $1,142,132, Sweden $960,219 and the UK $469,043. Norway's donation puts the total to $3.5 million. However, the only other major donor to Uganda, the United States government, has yet to pledge any direct financial support for the Juba peace talks. Read more at The Monitor.

The LRA delegation yesterday threw out a carefully-drafted document for an extension to the landmark August 26th cessation of hostilities truce. The parties at the Juba talks had converged to finalize the extension, but trouble began when the LRA delegation's legal advisor Ayena Odongo, who had been away from the negotiations, returned and demanded a review of the draft document. Capt. Paddy Ankunda, the government delegation's spokesman, said in an interview yesterday that the LRA wants the government to reformulate the whole agreement, which is totally unacceptable to Kampala and the mediator. According to the draft, the LRA fighters scattered east of River Nile have been given one week to assemble at Owiny-ki-Bul, one of two South Sudan assembly points, upon signing the agreement and also charged the SPLA to provide ample security for the trekking forces. Ankunda said the rebels did not raise any objections to this provision but continue to question the status of the UPDF presence in South Sudan. Read more at The Monitor.

The Daily Monitor has printed an open letter to President Museveni, thanking him for agreeing to dialogue with the LRA, but saying that some of his latest pronouncements, actions and commissions in respect of the Juba peace process have cast doubt on his commitment to the success of the talks. The letter reads, "The public mood and desire for a peaceful resolution of this conflict is overwhelmingly at odds with your increasingly visible temptation to resume fighting...If there is even the remotest chance that the talks could yield a peace dividend then Daily Monitor urges you to renew your patience and do everything to help save the process." Read the full letter at The Monitor.

John Edwards, former North Carolina senator and the 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee (and likely 2008 presidential contender) has written a powerful Op/Ed in today's Washington Post, urging U.S. support for the fragile Juba peace talks. Edwards writes, "At a moment of tremendous global hardship -- from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to the killing fields of Darfur -- it is rare to find hope. So when there is the possibility for peace, we must seize it. That's why one of the world's great tragedies, the conflict in Northern Uganda, deserves our attention." He urges the US and international community to publicly support the ongoing peace talks, to offer assistance to the mediating Government of South Sudan, and to make clear their financial commitment to supporting post-conflict needs. Edwards concludes, "In a world of unending troubles for the United States, few would argue that Northern Uganda's future is among the most urgent strategic challenges. But our actions in coming weeks will be a critical test of our global leadership. How we act -- and if and how we lead -- will send a message throughout Africa and the rest of the world about what America stands for. We must not sit idly by as Uganda's people strive for peace." Read the full Op/Ed at The Washington Post.

Peter Wamboga-Mugirya, a science and technology journalist in Kampala, has told Voice of America today that if a peace agreement is reached between the Ugandan government and LRA, the northern region and entire country could see vast improvements in its economy. He says the north is a fertile plateau, a part of the Nile River valley, and a former contributor of cassava and of grains like maize, sorghum and millet. Wamboga-Mugirya says its cotton could contribute to the country’s textile industry, which has received an export boost with the US Africa Growth and Opportunity Act. The north is also a large producer of oil seeds, like sunflower, sesame, groundnuts and soybeans. Northern Uganda also benefits by its proximity to southern Sudan, which is very rich in resources. Wamboga-Mugirya says there’s a potential for a China-financed railway line between the northwestern town of Packwach in Uganda and Juba, Sudan. "Remember," Wamboga-Mugirya says, "that southern Sudan is three times bigger than Uganda but depends on Uganda for consumer goods like petroleum products and for sugar, salt and soap." Listen to the full interview at Voice of America.

Peace talks in Juba stumbled again today as the LRA delegation threatened to walk out. The delegation said they were angered by President Museveni's weekend missive in which he hinted at possible military action against the LRA once the DR Congo's presidential election is resolved. "From the onset, the President has engaged personally in hostile propaganda against the LRA and we are calling upon him to immediately desist from such practice or else there is no use of us talking peace," said the LRA head of delegation, Martin Ojul yesterday. "The President's continued militaristic attitude and utterances are not helping the peace talks," Ojul said. "If he doesn't want to talk peace, let him withdraw his delegation in Juba." By press time, the two delegations were expected to converge at Juba Raha Hotel to sign the much-anticipated extension to the August 26 truce. However, the negotiations have hit a stumbling block as the LRA insisted once again that the UPDF must withdraw from South Sudan. Read more at The Monitor.

Minster of Relief and Disaster Preparedness Tarsis Kabwegyere has said that all the internally displaced persons camps in northern Uganda will be dismantled by December 31 as a way of making the people resettle in their homes. He said the government and humanitarian organisations have enough resources to distribute to the people as they resettle into their home, "The sooner we dismantle the camps, the better because it will be done to improve the problems the displaced persons are facing," he said. Many in northern Uganda remain concerned, nonetheless, that government and business elements are working to grab parts of their land for commercial use. Uganda-CAN urges the Ugandan government and partnering NGOs to ensure that people's land rights and protection needs are ensured as part of any resettlement plan. Read more at The Monitor.

The U.N. Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland told Voice of America today that real progress is under way in the war-battered region of Uganda. "It was surprising how little we heard about the 20,000 kidnapped children and the nearly two million displaced people," he said. "Mortality was higher last year in northern Uganda than it was in Darfur on average." Egeland credits the African-mediated peace talks with bringing security for the local people. "300,000 [people] have returned to their homes in the last few months. Hundreds of thousands are preparing to return [home] in the next few months. We have had the highest degree of security and quiet in northern Uganda in this year, 2006, than in any of these recent, terrible years for northern Uganda," he said. Despite the hopes of this progress, Egeland says, the world - including the European Union and the United States - must work with Ugandan rebels and the government to find a lasting solution to the war to avoid further bloodshed. Read more and listen to the interview at the Voice of America.

The Daily Monitor has published an open letter to the LRA, urging the rebels to save the peace talks and stop making unreasonable demands that make peace more difficult. The editors argue that a string of unreasonable demands have made it "impossible for independent observers of the process to focus on your [LRA] main sticking concern of the International Criminal Court (ICC) indictments." The editors continue, "The LRA must be disabused of any illusions that the Ugandan population — and more so those who have suffered the brunt of your activities in Acholi; Lango; Teso and West Nile — is interested in continued armed conflict. An independent Daily Monitor poll found that 96% of Ugandans want the conflict resolved peacefully." Tomorrow, The Daily Monitor will publish an open letter addressed to President Museveni and the Ugandan government. Read the full letter to the LRA at The Monitor.

Adam O'Brien, analyst for the International Crisis Group, has written an Op/Ed in tomorrow's Daily Monitor, saying that the UN Security Council, under Article 16 of the Rome Statute, is the correct body to make a possible suspension of ICC arrest warrants. O'Brien writes, "However, contrary to this pervasive perception, the ICC is not the main obstacle. Premature preoccupation with the ICC neglects the positive impact the court has had, minimises the multitude of complex challenges that must be addressed before the issue of prosecutions comes into play, and masks the mechanisms to reconcile the interests of peace and justice." He writes further, "If the parties get to the stage where an agreement is signed, then hard decisions will need to be made about balancing the needs of peace and accountability. Faced with the prospect of ending the urgent humanitarian catastrophe in northern Uganda by restoring security and allowing 1.8 million IDP living in squalid conditions to return home, the ICC will face pressure to allow the peace agreement to proceed. Since the ICC is an independent legal institution with a mandate to prosecute, not make political decisions, the burden of making the decision to suspend the investigation should be shouldered by the UN Security Council." Read the full Op/Ed at The Monitor.

President Museveni has said the resolution of the DR Congo presidential contest will open doors for a military assault on the LRA, whose leaders are reportedly holed up in Garamba National Park. Museveni, in a statement over the weekend, said DRC President Joseph Kabila and his challenger and Vice President Pierre Bemba had consented to Kampala's request for the UPDF to hunt LRA insurgents across the border. The Congolese today voted in a run-off election that the UN has called the most important in Africa since a 1994 ballot ended the apartheid regime in South Africa. Meanwhile the peace talks in Juba still continue, though there are disagreements between the parties over assembly points for the LRA rebels. Read more at The Monitor.

Uganda-CAN urges President Museveni and the Ugandan government to use caution in planning any military assault. Though the Juba talks have stumbled at times, there have been almost no abductions or attacks on civilians in northern Uganda since they began. The number of child “night commuters” has decreased substantially to only a few thousand. This security has allowed some 300,000 internally displaced peoples to begin returning home and farming. If continued, UNHCR estimates 500,000 IDPs can begin returning home by the end of the year. Up to now, President Museveni has shown great leadership in engaging talks and working with northern Ugandan leaders. It would be a sad mistake to see the gains of recent months lost by military action. Past military assaults by the UPDF (Operation North in 1991 and Operation Iron Fist in 2002 for example) have led to increased violence against civilians and mass displacement.

The Government and LRA were yesterday expected to sign an addendum to the cessation of hostilities truce agreement which would give the rebels one week to re-assemble and a 10 kilometer radius at assembly points. The signing on Saturday was delayed by LRA absence, which the LRA delegation said was because they needed further legal advice. The addendum further bars recruitment and rearmament, to be monitored by the South Sudan government. Read more at The New Vision.

President Museveni has issued a public statement about the prospects for durable peace in Uganda. Museveni first criticizes the "English newspapers, The New Vision and Daily Monitor, who assault the hope of the people of Uganda for stability by misinforming, through screaming negative headlines, about the prospects for durable peace." Museveni writes that the "shield of the nation, the UPDF is almost complete," and this will ensure peace throughout the country. Museveni assures the people that the government is doing everything to stop the "LRA terrorist campaign." Read the full statement at The Monitor.

President Museveni has said the 20-year insurgency in northern Uganda has never been a civil war, but a "terrorism campaign fuelled by the foolish government of Sudan." "This is not a civil war. Who is fighting who? If the local people are not involved and are being killed, it cannot be a civil war but terrorism. God works in mysterious ways," Museveni said at a fundraising dinner for the Uganda Red Cross Society. He said the "so-called civil war" in the region is a creation of the "useless" Daily Monitor and The New Vision newspapers. "They are really very useless, the type of characters in those two institutions have no contribution to this country," Museveni said. "Since 2002, the remaining problem is to collect guns from Kony rebels who are no longer receiving support from Sudan. Whether the ongoing Juba peace talks succeed or not, peace has returned to Uganda," Museveni concluded. Read more at The Monitor.

President Museveni has insisted that the International Criminal Court (ICC) should maintain its arrest warrants against LRA top commanders until a peace agreement is signed. "The ICC is actually very good for us (Uganda) because it makes the terrorists (rebels) come up to seek peace and end impunity. ICC was created to fight impunity," Museveni said at the general meeting of the East African Law Society. Museveni further said, as he has many times before, that peace in northern Uganda would come irrespective of what comes out of the talks. Museveni said, "The peace talks you are talking about is really a tail end of the problem in the north. If they are clever enough, they should come out. In any case, we shall get them or kill them." If the rebels do accept a peace agreement, Museveni said his government will tell the ICC that "a new situation has arisen and the people have found an alternative method of conflict resolution." Read more at The Monitor.

Once again, Uganda-CAN urges President Museveni to avoid hostile and threatening language when speaking in public about the conflict in northern Uganda. President Museveni has shown much leadership and good will in supporting the current Juba talks, but calling the LRA "terrorists" and threatening to kill them does not help build confidence and trust necessary for talks to succeed. Second, Museveni's statement that peace will return to the north irrespective of Juba's outcome ignores the reality that nearly 1.7 million people still live in squalid camps and fear daily for their livelihood and security. The people of northern Uganda beg Museveni to fully engage peace talks to end this war; it's time that the President shows he is listening to them and speaks as if he represents their best interests.

A United Nations committee has voted overwhelmingly to begin work on an international arms trade treaty, which would seek to close loopholes in existing laws which mean guns still end up in conflict zones despite arms embargoes and export controls. It could also stop the supply of weapons to countries whose development is being hampered by arms spending. Major weapons manufacturers such as Britain, France and Germany voted to begin work on the treaty, as did major emerging arms exporters Bulgaria and Ukraine. Russia and China, also major arms manufacturers, were among the countries to abstain. The U.S. was the only government to vote against. The UN Secretary-General has one year to produce a report on how to introduce common international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional arms. Read more at the BBC News.

Human rights organisations have welcomed the move. Amnesty International described the vote as "an historic opportunity", saying "any credible treaty must outlaw those transfers, which fuel the systematic murder, rape, torture and expulsion of thousands of people." This vote comes after an excellent report last month by the Control Arms Campaign, titled "Arms Without Borders: Global Arms Industry Exploiting Major Loopholes in Arms Regulations." In that report, Uganda was identified as one of the states where large amounts of small arms and light weapons are ending up in a conflict zone. It was further identified as a country where large increases in arms spending have hampered development and peacebuilding. Thus, for war-weary northern Ugandans, this step by the international community is a very important and impacting one.

In a new ultimatum, the Ugandan government has given the LRA rebels one week to assemble at Owiny-Ki-bul, despite a vow this week by the LRA's Vincent Otti that his forces will not move any inch closer to that assembly point. However, there are discussions in Juba to extend the August 26th truce to give the rebels more time. State Minister for Defence Ruth Nankabirwa reporters today that the two warring parties at the Juba talks had made considerable concessions and agreed that there is need to extend the truce. Nankabirwa also told the press that an investigation into last week's ambushes, which claimed lives of 41 civilians, had revealed that there are other groups besides the LRA operating in South Sudan, which may have carried out the attacks. "These are groups which don't want the peace talks to succeed," she said. "They are entrepreneurs of violence." Read more at The Monitor.

Uganda-CAN urges the parties in Juba to extend the cessation of hostilities truce to build confidence in the peace talks and especially to continue the relative security for the people of northern Uganda. Since talks began, there have been almost no abductions or attacks on civilians in northern Uganda. The number of child “night commuters” has decreased substantially to only a few thousand. This security has allowed some 300,000 internally displaced peoples to begin returning home and farming. If continued, UNHCR estimates 500,000 IDPs can begin returning home by the end of the year.

Sporadic gunfire rocked Juba on Thursday night for several hours. Five people, including a baby, were reportedly killed in the shooting on the outskirts of the South Sudan town hosting the peace talks between Uganda and the LRA rebels. As the gunfire reverberated, the LRA and government teams were locked in a closed meeting reviewing the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CHA) at Juba Raha camp. A total of 17 suspected former militiamen were arrested by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) near Gumbo Bridge. One security sources said the gunfire was masterminded by some Arab traders who were angry that goods from Uganda have flooded the Juba market and pushed the prices down. The Ugandan team leader, internal affairs minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, said the government of South Sudan is better placed to comment on matters within its territory. Read more at The New Vision.

Peace talks between the Government and the LRA rebels in Juba, South Sudan, are on track, a delegation of the Great Lakes Parliamentary Forum on Peace (AMANI Forum), which is observing the talks, has said. A statement from the group said, "The peace talks are proceeding well. Both parties are committed to the successful completion of the talks in the shortest time possible." The statement also said AMANI Forum intends to discuss the Juba talks in the Pan African Parliament in Midrand, South Africa. Read more at The New Vision.

Disagreement over the terms of a revised truce accord has held up peace talks between the two sides in Juba, officials said on Thursday. The LRA has insisted Ugandan troops deployed to southern Sudan either be withdrawn or cantoned, and that rebel forces assemble in only one site, rather than two, near the Sudan-DRC border. However, the spokesman for the Ugandan government delegation at the talks, Capt. Paddy Ankunda, said the new LRA demands were "ambiguous and diversionary" and that the government would reject them. Ankunda said the LRA demands were delaying the peace talks. According to officials close to the mediation, the chief mediator Riek Machar, had presented a compromise proposal to both parties. His plan rejects the LRA demand that Ri-Kwangba be the only gathering site for rebel forces, but also recommends that Ugandan troops withdraw from some areas in southern Sudan. Read more at the UN's IRIN News.

Just one week after the string of attacks killing nearly 40 civilians in southern Sudan, two more civilians were killed in ambushes on Juba-Nisitu road in southern Sudan. The criminals reportedly also set ablaze three civilian vehicles. Three civilians are still missing. The northern army spokesman Lt. Chris Magezi blamed the LRA for the attacks. However, UPDF accusations of LRA guilt in last week's attacks came into question when northern Sudanese men were arrested earlier this week. Given that experience, Uganda-CAN urges the parties to show caution in making accusations. Read more at The New Vision.

The UPDF has stepped up patrols at the border with the DR Congo. The army has termed its operation as "immunisation against any security threats" from the presence in Ituri district of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). Uganda’s move follows intelligence reports that LRA, ADF and the People’s Redemption Army (PRA) have allied in Congo to fight the government. Read more at The New Vision.

Nick Grono, vice president of the International Crisis Group, has published an Op/Ed in today's International Herald Tribune, urging the UN Security Council to suspend ICC prosecution for 12-months to give negotiations in Juba a chance to succeed and deliver peace to people in northern Uganda. Under Article 16 of the Rome Statute, the UN SC can vote to suspend prosecution for one year. Read the full article at IHT.

The army of southern Sudan, the SPLA, has ordered the UPDF to vacate areas surrounding Owiny-ki-Bul, one of two designated assembly points. This move, which has pleased the LRA, has drawn protest from the Uganda government. This order came as part of a harmonised paper presented today by chief mediator Riek Machar. Interestingly, many of the areas in question are UPDF military bases in southern Sudan. A source said Kampala was incensed by the document and raised objections. The government delegation in Juba preferred not to debate the matter at the meeting and said the issue of UPDF's deployment in southern Sudan was not part of the negotiators' mandate. In the meantime, LRA second-in-command Vincent Otti has said his fighters will remain in the wilderness until a new development in the peace negotiations. Otti said his people have kept complaining that the UPDF is following them up. In other reports, it appears there have minor incidents of looting and ambush on the roads around Juba. Read more at The Monitor.

The LRA has demanded an extension of the August 26th cessation of hostilities truce, to allow the rebels to relocate to another assembly point. In a position paper presented today in Juba, the LRA delegation demanded six more weeks of truce, during which their scattered forces in southern Sudan and northern Uganda can move to Ri-Kwangba, their preferred assembly point at the Congo-Sudan border. A source at the talks said the rebels' request was rejected. The Government insisted that the rebels assemble at the two designated points. Mediators are working to devise a compromise to strengthen the ceasefire truce. Meanwhile, the chief mediator Riek Machar express optimism yesterday that the talks will succeed and that both parties are committed to ending the war. Machar further said President Museveni's visit over the weekend boosted the process. "The visit of the President to Juba gave a push to the talks," he said. Read more at The Monitor.

The LRA has said it wants all its troops to assemble in Ri-Kwangba in Western Equatorial State, one of the two assembly points in southern Sudan. The LRA delegation presented this as peace talks resumed in Juba today. The latest condition follows the rebels recent refusal to assemble in Owiny-Kibul because the UPDF had reportedly deployed there. Captain Paddy Ankunda, the UPDF spokesman at the talks, said, "This new condition by LRA has startled us. We suspected that they wanted to cross the Nile to join the main group in Garamba." Read more at The New Vision.

Today, National Public Radio's Diane Rehm Show featured an hour-long feature on the conflict in northern Uganda and fragile peace talks in Juba. The show further featured a recording of child "night commuters" singing, taken from Uganda-CAN's Audio Journal. Visit the Diane Rehm Show to listen to the full show.

Today the Government of Uganda defended President Museveni's visit to Juba against claims from the Sudanese government that the trip was in violation of the diplomatic code. Ambassador James Mugume, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said individuals bent on spoiling relations between Sudan and Uganda orchestrated Khartoum's weekend outburst. "I think there was a political motive. Whoever is talking about the breach is doing it for political reasons and wants to heap up anti-Uganda sentiments," he said. Meanwhile, the LRA's Vincent Otti has demanded for a new assembly point for his forces if the rebels are to show more commitment to the strained peace process. Otti said he would formally request the talks' chief mediator to allow the LRA rebels scattered in southern Sudan to cross over to Ri-Kwangba, one of two South Sudan assembly points. The LRA delegation in Juba, formally presented Otti's request to the mediator this afternoon, after peace talks resumed. Read more at The Monitor.

The Sudanese government in Khartoum has criticised President Museveni's seven-hour visit on Saturday to Juba, calling it "a diplomatic breach". The Sudanese government spokesman Ali al-Sadek said, "Sudan is still one country, and any head of state coming on the Sudanese soil must first come to Khartoum, meet the President, then meet the first vice-president." According to Kampala, Museveni traveled to Juba to salvage the strained peace talks. However, his meeting with the LRA delegation was short and tense. "I would not call you LRA in normal circumstances," the President is said to have told the rebels. According to Aye, the president was quite frank in his opinions. "He bluntly said we are not in touch with reality in Uganda, we are not informed and still stuck to the Uganda of 20 years ago,'' Aye said. The President later moved to shake the hand of the LRA deputy delegation head Josephine Apia. Apia reportedly stunned the entire room when she feigned a handshake while avoiding the President's hand. The meeting reportedly lasted only five minutes. Read more at The Monitor.

With the numbers still rolling in, it’s already clear that on Saturday, October 21, GuluWalk Day, over 30,000 people, in 82 cities and 15 different countries took to the streets to urge the world to support peace in northern Uganda. From Beijing to Birmingham to Boston, people across the world walked together to urge international support for the peace talks in Juba. In the coming days, we'll feature news stories and photos from many of the walks.

Yet, the push for 10,000 reasons for hope in northern Uganda is not over. GuluWalk.com is still in pursuit of its goal to have 10,000 people sign up online and raise $100, which would mean $1-million for the children of war torn northern Uganda. Sign up at GuluWalk.com today!

South Sudan’s military has arrested 15 suspected north Sudanese troops in connection with a string of attacks last week that killed at least 38 civilians, a top south Sudanese general said Saturday. "All were Sudanese attempting to attack a village near Juba. It is not established whether it was they who did the ambush, but we are investigating," Major-General Wilson Deng Kuoirot said. The LRA were previously accused by both the Ugandan government and chief mediator Riek Machar for the attacks. Deng said he suspected the men arrested were "elements of (Arabic-speaking northern) Sudan Armed Forces." He further said, "They were speaking Arabic. My belief is they were pretending to be LRA to attack and loot civilians." Deng said that if true that Sudanese forces were behind the ambushes, "that would clear the LRA." Read more at The New Vision.

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), the lead opposition political party, intends to move a motion in parliament for a resolution unblocking the ICC indictments against LRA leaders. The FDC said whereas there is no better way to peace in the north than through peace talks, the indictments had proven a major hurdle. FDC President Kizza Besigye wrote to South Sudan president Salva Kiir and Ugandan President Museveni, urging continued support for the peace process. The statement also urged the LRA to get back to the assembly points agreed upon with the Government. Read more at The New Vision.

President Museveni has met negotiators from the LRA for the first time in an attempted effort to revive stalled talks. However, a LRA spokesman said the meeting lasted only five minutes and the Ugandan president had been abusive. The LRA spokesman Godfrey Ayo said that Mr Museveni "only called us uninformed Ugandans who have been out of the country for 20 years. He also said other things which were all abusive - indicating that he is never interested in peace talks." Uganda's Deputy Foreign Minister Henry Okello Oryem denied that Museveni had been abusive. After addressing the two negotiating teams, Museveni went to shake hands with the LRA representatives but was refused. Read more at BBC News.

After the gruesome massacres of about 40 civilians in southern Sudan on Wednesday, the LRA's second-in-command Vincent Otti has ordered his fighters to shoot at the UPDF on sight. "I have consulted with my boss Joseph Kony and we have resolved that our forces should shoot at the UPDF as soon as they attempt to shoot at them and even see them [UPDF]. I have told them to fight for their lives," Otti said on Saturday. Otti, said his forces had on several occasions been attacked and that the LRA would not tolerate the provocation. Earlier in the week Otti was threatening to block all roads to the southern Sudan town of Juba in protest to the UPDF presence and operations against the rebels inside Sudan. Read more at The Monitor.

President Museveni yesterday for the first time met the LRA delegation in Juba in what was described as an attempt to salvage the faltering peace talks. Museveni met the entire LRA delegation in a closed-door meeting at National Assembly House, the home of the South Sudan Parliament. A Uganda government source who attended the heated meeting told Sunday Monitor that Museveni spoke angrily at the rebels and often rebuked them. Museveni later addressed South Sudan MPs and government ministers at the same venue, but this meeting was open to the press. "The problem of Kony is a confluence of the problems of Uganda and Sudan," Museveni said. He said Kony was a product of Uganda's gun politics and the chauvinism of the Sudanese Arab political leaders. The President praised Gen. Kiir, saying the idea of peace talks was entirely his initiative. "I would like also to salute Vice President Riek Machar. He is a very patient and persistent person who knows how to deal with unserious people like the LRA. If it were me,’’ he said, his voice trailing off in laughter. "We have generally defeated Kony. That's why he and Otti are in Garamba Forest. Do you think they are there for tourism?" Museveni said neither the government of the DR Congo nor the United Nations peacekeeping mission there were helping Uganda to hunt Kony down. "That's why we think the peace talks will help us. The Uganda government pledges full support for the peace talks," Museveni said. Read more at The Daily Monitor.

On this Saturday, October 21, over 80 cities in 15 countries will take to the streets with a cry for peace in northern Uganda - - it’s called GuluWalk. It started with the daily footsteps of just two Canadians, who attempted to replicate the horror that the children of northern Uganda have been forced to face. In less than 16 months it has grown into an urgent and impassioned worldwide movement for peace. With 20 walks in Canada, 44 in the United States and events in Australia, Burkina Faso, China, England, France, Italy, Kenya, Netherlands, New Zealand, Serbia, Togo, Wales and in both Gulu and Kampala, Uganda, it’s clear that this is not a fringe issue and one that citizens from every corner of the globe want to see their governments engage in.

This Saturday, our numbers and our voices will call our political officials to action, to support the ongoing peace talks in Juba and bring peace to northern Uganda. Click here to find a walk near you and sign up to join!

The LRA denied on Friday killing at least 38 civilians in a string of attacks in southern Sudan and accused Uganda's military of trying to frame them. Uganda's army blamed the LRA, but the rebels' top commander in the area said his fighters were blameless. "No LRA has attacked civilians in southern Sudan," Caesar Acelam said by satellite telephone. "If attacks took place, it is more likely UPDF (Uganda People's Defence Forces) who are deployed around Juba. They do this, then accuse LRA," he said. Uganda's army spokesman was not immediately available for comment. Read more at Reuters AlertNet.

Save the Children has produced a new report highlighting the importance of the Juba peace process for children, and urging the international community to provide all possible support. The report also addresses the question of the current ICC indictments. The report says, "The Rome Statue provides for the possibility of an international standard of justice and accountability using the national and traditional systems of justice. If the victims of the war, the affected community and the parties to the Juba talks determine that a strengthened national and traditional justice mechanism can meet an international standard of justice and accountability, it should be given an appropriate review by the International Criminal Court (ICC) as provided by the Rome Statute. All stakeholders should give support to the negotiating parties in Juba to engage in meaningful dialogue, conclude a comprehensive agreement and deliver peace, thereby laying a firm foundation upon which justice and accountability can be built."

There is increasing work by international diplomats and lawyers to elicit approaches and built momentum in support of alternative forms of justice that will coincide with the peace talks in Juba. According to the Rome Statute, there are two ways that current ICC indictments can be withdrawn or deferred. Under Article 16, the UN Security Council can vote to suspend the indictments. Such a resolution would clearly demonstrate the commitment of the international community to see these negotiations run their full course. The second option, according to Article 53, allows the Prosecutor to revoke indictments if prosecution is not in the "interests of justice" or "interests of victims." A strong case can certainly be made that the interest of the people of northern Uganda is peace, restoration of their basic rights and return home. With the Juba talks as the best opportunity to achieve that, ICC rigidity remains an obstacle.

With the future of peace talks on shaky ground and the LRA refusing to sign an agreement until ICC indictments are withdrawn, international diplomats are working to find approaches that can bolster the peace process without undermining the integrity of the ICC. On 9 October, the following was included in a statement made on behalf of African Member States to the International Criminal Court Statute before the General Assembly. "Let us now turn to the vexing debate on the role of the Court in peace processes...The report of the Secretary-General mentions that there are three situations before the International Criminal Court, namely, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and Darfur, Sudan. The ICC is involved in these areas on the basis of the invitation of the States concerned or on the basis of a referral by the United Nations Security Council and not because it imposed itself on the States. We fully support the response of the International Criminal Court to the legitimate invitation by the government...We remain however cognisant that notwithstanding the Court's positive response to the referrals, it shall not be able to prosecute anybody until the States concerned deliver the individuals indicted to the Court.

"Madam President, in our scrutiny of the building blocks of the ICC, it seems to us that the Court itself does not determine the role it plays in a peace process but rather it is States that determine the role of the Court. The Court is a tool of accountability that can be activated by States when they are of the view that accountability is necessary in a given situation...It is therefore up to those entities that activated the Court to deactivate it in accordance with its Statute on the basis of the complementarity rule at any time when accountability by the ICC is no longer a tool of their preference. We are confident that, consistent with the ICC Statute, the Court would defer to national justice systems when complementarity is appropriately invoked before the Court." Read the full speech from the Permanent Mission of South Africa to the United Nations.

Unknown gunmen have killed at least 38 civilians in a string of attacks in southern Sudan, regional government officials reported today. The Uganda military has said it suspects LRA rebels launched the attacks; however the LRA delegation in Juba has denied it. Southern Sudan's Interior Minister Paul Mayom Akec told a news conference that armed men killed 38 people, including women and children, and burned cars in several attacks on roads between the southern capital Juba and the eastern banks of the Nile. "It is not my immediate desire to talk about the identity of the attackers ... no matter whoever they can be, in order for us not to jeopardise the ongoing peace talks," Akec said. South Sudanese Major-General Wilson Deng Kuoirot said witnesses told him the attacks were carried out by young, dreadlocked men and women in "shabby-looking" fatigues. "Our forces are doing everything possible to find out who is behind these killings," he said. Uganda-CAN will report the latest news on these attacks as we receive it. Read more now at Reuters AlertNet.

The Daily Monitor has published a staff editorial, titled simply and boldly "Save Juba Peace Process." They write, "All parties to the Juba peace process owe it to the long-suffering internally displaced persons in northern Uganda to collectively salvage the limping talks." With the reports of attacks in south Sudan and President Museveni's trip to Juba this weekend, the Monitor's editorial is a sober reminder of the stakes of peace talks. Read the full editorial at The Monitor.

UN agencies working in northern Uganda say an unprecedented number of people displaced by the war are starting to make their way home. The UNHCR estimates that more than 300,000 of 1.7 million displaced people have already left the camps as the Juba peace talks have continued. According to UNHCR estimates, half a million people will have begun to return to their land by the end of 2006. UNHCR says this may well be one of the largest-scale movements of its kind ever to occur in Africa. Dennis McNamara from the United Nations Humanitarian Office in Geneva said the displaced Ugandans were voting with their feet for peace. Read more at the BBC News.

Gladys Oroma, Uganda-CAN news correspondent, reports that over 11 people were killed Wednesday and six trucks burned in southern Sudan. The northern army spokesman Lt. Chris Magezi blamed LRA rebels for the road ambushes. Several other people are still missing after the attacks. Magezi said this was a clear violation of the cessation of hostilities agreement by the LRA. "We are not surprised by these. We have always firmly known and told the world that the LRA are none but vicious terrorists," he said. However, he also noted that peace talks in Juba continue despite the attacks.

Gladys Oroma, Uganda-CAN news correspondent, reports that the chairman of the Acholi Parliamentary Group has said the LRA High Command is divided on the length for and future of peace negotiations. John Livingston Okello, MP in Kitgum District, said last Saturday that he held a teleconference with LRA leaders Kony and Otti for over two hours. He said that while Kony wants negotiations to continue for one year, Otti says the process should be extended for two. He further said that the chief mediator, Dr. Riek Machar is greatly frustrated with delays in talks and miscommunication within the Lord's Resistance Army. Machar has advised the LRA not to drag the talks up to July 2007 when the Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting (CHOGM) would be held in Kampala because President Museveni would not allow negotiations then.

As we reported yesterday, the United Kingdom has pledged $469,043 in support of the Juba peace talks. This pledge of support for the talks will be a major help to the peace process and is also an important show of commitment to the people of northern Uganda. Thusfar, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden have also made contributions to the Juba Initiative Fund in support of these critical peace talks. The Netherlands has pledged $1,142,132; Norway $247,170 and Sweden $960,219. However, the only other major donor to Uganda, the United States government, has yet to pledge any support for the Juba peace talks. U.S. public support for the talks would be extremely helpful to build confidence, hold the parties accountable and aid technical needs, such as monitoring the cessation of hostilities agreement. U.S. continued silence on these talks calls into question the statement by the White House that ending the war by the end of 2006 is a priority for the Bush Administration. There is still a deficit of $1.98 million to the UN Juba Initiative Fund; we urge the U.S. to fill that deficit and publicly support this critical opportunity to end the 20-year war in northern Uganda.

The LRA has confirmed that their rebels killed a Ugandan officer in neighbouring southern Sudan. "Ugandan soldiers, as usual, attacked our men," said Godfrey Ayoo, an LRA spokesman at peace talks. "In self-defence we killed their captain and that would not have happened if they has not provoked us." The UPDF has rejected this, saying the captain was alone when he was shot by the rebels. Read more at Reuters.

The UPDF has accused LRA rebels of killing a Ugandan officer in southern Sudan, further straining peace talks in Juba. Uganda's military spokesman Major Felix Kulayigye said a Ugandan captain was shot dead by rebels on Tuesday by the River Nile. "This officer was just walking ... when he was attacked," Kulayigye said. "This is a blatant violation of the cessation of hostilities agreement." The UPDF has accused the LRA of trying to cross the Nile to regroup and rearm on the Sudan-Congo border. In the last week, there have been accusations of military action by both sides. Read more at Reuters AlertNet.

If these reported incidents are true, this shows a failed responsibility to the people of northern Uganda, whom have placed great hopes in the Juba peace process as a way to end the 20-year war. It further shows a failed responsibility by the international community, especially the U.S. government, to provide necessary support to peace talks for confidence-building and accountability. Yet there is still time to take action to bolster this process and support peace in northern Uganda.

President Yoweri Museveni has confirmed he will go to Juba over the weekend to consult with southern Sudanese mediators at the peace talks. Read more at BBC News.

With GuluWalk Day 2006 just four days away, the numbers are rising and have nearly reached 4,000. On this Saturday, tens of thousands of people in over 80 cities around the world will walk to call for international support for peace talks and an end to the 20-year war in northern Uganda. There's still time to sign up and find a walk near you!

A joint probe team has started an inquiry into claims that the Ugandan army attacked LRA fighters thrice this week, stalling peace talks in Juba. A joint team of UPDF, SPLA and LRA officers yesterday left to investigate these claims. "We are leaving right now for Birinyang, Mangala and Jabol on a fact-finding mission following the alleged clashes,” said Maj. Gen. Wilson Deng, the chairman of the Cessation of Hostilities Monitoring Team. The LRA delegation has since called for a thorough investigation into the alleged clashes or else they abandon the negotiating table for good. Read more at The Monitor.

The LRA said on Monday it would propose the encampment of the Ugandan government troops deployed in southern Sudan as a way of guaranteeing the rebels’ security when they reassemble in designated areas under a truce agreement. Ayena Odongo, legal adviser to the LRA’s delegation said, "We will propose that the revised agreement is structured in a manner that will guarantee the safe exit of the LRA in the undesirable event that the talks fail. There should be special assembly points for the UPDF as there is for the LRA in southern Sudan because it will be difficult to monitor troops on the move." The government has urged the rebels to reassemble in neutral sites, assuring them that their security was guaranteed. Read more at the UN's IRIN News.

The British government has contributed 250,000 pounds to facilitate the talks between the government and LRA in Juba. A statement from the British High Commission in Uganda yesterday said the money was a contribution to the UN’s Juba Initiative Fund to help pay for costs of the mediation process. Read more at The New Vision.

President Museveni will this weekend fly to the southern Sudan capital of Juba to fufill his earlier vow to confront the LRA delegation at the peace talks, a top government official has disclosed. However, the President's visit comes at a tense time as the LRA delegation walked out of negotiations yesterday, claiming the UPDF had attacked rebels in three separate incidents. The military exchange has elicited demands by the LRA of international sanctions against Kampala. "We will not proceed with this negotiation until we get a thorough investigation and a statement from the government of Uganda," said LRA spokesman Godfrey Ayo. "We want the international community to exert pressure on Uganda to stop violating the truce or even better to withdraw completely from South Sudan." The UDPF has denied these accusations. Read more at The Monitor.

The Lord's Resistance Army has said a number of its fighters were attacked in southern Sudan by UPDF troops despite ongoing peace talks. The LRA team at the talks in Juba said the alleged incident at dawn on Monday was "a severe provocation" which could threaten the negotiations. Negotiator Godfrey Ay said LRA fighters were attacked as they headed to one of two safe havens in southern Sudan. He said two fighters had sustained life-threatening injuries in the attack on Birinyang in southern Sudan. Yet, UPDF spokesman Major Felix Kulayigye said he knew of no such incident taking place. Read more at BBC News.

The Ugandan government has insisted that LRA rebels must assemble at the designated sites at Owiny Ki-Bul and Ri-Kwangba as agreed upon under the truce signed in August. This follows the release of a report by the Cessation of Hostilities Monitoring Team (CHMT) that revealed that only 45 rebels had assembled at Owiny Ki-Bul on September 14 and disappeared 15 days later after receiving food from the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). In the report, the UPDF was also accused of breaching the cessation of hostilities agreement by escorting journalists and diplomats to Pajok on September 27 and 28 enroute to Owiny Ki-Bul to verify whether the LRA had assembled there or not. The CHMT confirmed the entry into Sudan of two UPDF armoured vehicles, two Buffaloes, four pick-up trucks, a Jiefang truck and a busload of journalists and diplomats on the trip organised by the Uganda Media Centre. Read more at The New Vision.

The LRA's second-in-command Vincent Otti said yesterday that there are LRA fighters still trapped in northern Uganda, contradicting the government's recent assurance that there is no rebel presence anywhere in the north. Otti said he wants LRA rebels languishing in Gulu, Pader and Lira districts to be given safe passage "because they have to be with others (fighters)." Otti, who last week insisted he wants all his fighters to cross the Nile and head to Western Equatoria (in south Sudan), said yesterday his fighters should stay put and avoid provocation. "I know they are still afraid of coming out because they might be engaged by the UPDF, but I ask them to stay there in hiding and should not fight," he said. The government has said it still expects the rebels to assemble as dictated by the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement. Read more at The Monitor.

Gladys Oroma, Uganda-CAN news correspondent, reports that a UPDF soldier, known as Pte Afriano Bono-Lino, last evening shot seven people dead in Pader district. Bono–Lino Africano, a member of the 93rd battalion in Laguti camp, shot the seven during a clan meeting. The clan meeting was called by clan elders, to try and solve the long-standing domestic problems between the soldier and his wife. The northern region spokesman Lt. Chris Magezi said the incident was very regrettable and the highest form of criminality by UPDF. He said the army would seek justice.

GuluWalk Day 2006 is just one week away! 3,478 people from across the world, including many celebrities and political figures, have already signed up at GuluWalk.com to be reasons for hope in northern Uganda. On next Saturday, tens of thousands will walk in over 80 cities around the world, raising attention to the plight of children in war-torn northern Uganda. Sign up today and be one of the reasons for hope! Now with peace talks at a critical moment, our voices could not be more important in raising the profile of this crisis and urging the international community to support the peace process.

The LRA’s second-in-command Vincent Otti has said he wants to join the UPDF with his rank of Lt. General if a comprehensive peace agreement is signed with the government. He said that the entire process of reintegrating the LRA into the UPDF after the signing of the peace pact should see all his commanders benefiting. "I also want all my other commanders too to maintain their ranks. Why shouldn't they get their ranks? They have fought and struggled for these ranks. Our promotion to all of them was genuine and based on braveness, smartness, intellectual capability, strength and political knowledge," Otti said. He said the LRA is not a force to be underestimated as some government soldiers take it. The head of the Uganda peace delegation to Juba, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, said Otti’s demands would be discussed. Read more at The Monitor.

On Friday, chief mediator Riek Machar said that both the LRA rebels and Ugandan government have violated the cessation of hostilities truce. His statement came after an independent monitoring group confirmed that nearly 800 LRA fighters had left one of the two assembly points designated under the truce. "Both of them have violated. The army moved a company (of soldiers) too close to Owiny-Ki-Bul, which was a violation," Machar said. "We have deployed an SPLA battalion to protect them. We are telling them to go back — they are safe," he said. Read more at The New Vision.

The north is the most optimistic region, believing that the situation is getting rosier in Uganda according to an opinion poll commissioned by The Daily Monitor. When asked, "On the whole, are things in Uganda improving, worsening or have remained the same?" respondents from the north returned the highest percentage (41%) saying that the situation was getting better today. The perception that the situation is getting better is most likely related to the peace efforts, which many believe are the best opportunity in over a decade to end the 20-year war. Read more at The Monitor.

Progress at the Juba peace talks is now hanging in balance after senior LRA commanders and fighters left Owiny Ki-Bul assembling point and entered Garamba National Park a few days ago. Security sources said the rebels travelled northwards from Owiny Ki-Bul and crossed River Nile to Western Equatoria State at a point north of Juba. "They have joined their leaders in Garamba. The territory they used was under SPLA control and we bear no responsibility for whatever will happen," said a senior Ugandan security source. According to sources, the unification of the entire LRA group in Garamba comes at a time when the LRA has struck a deal to ally with the People’s Redemption Army (PRA) and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in Congo. Read more at The New Vision.

Despite the slow progress of the peace talks in Juba, at least 96% of Ugandans are opposed to any other means of ending the conflict than peace negotiations, according to a new survey by the Daily Monitor. In other words, only 4% of Ugandans want the military option as the means to end the war. Despite an overwhelming desire for a peaceful end to the conflict, an equally high percentage of Ugandans are worried that any of the two parties involved in the talks could break any peace agreement reached. 46% think that the government will break any peace agreement reached, while 44% think the LRA will do so. Read more at The Monitor.

The Daily Monitor is reporting today that the prospects of reaching a peaceful deal brightened in Juba after the LRA dropped a few more demands here. The rebels have backed off from the demand that two armies, one for the north and another for the rest of the country be created. They also agreed to drop a demand for a federal northern Uganda and settled instead for the current regional tier proposition of government. Read more at The Monitor.

The LRA has put a figure to its current strength and said it has over 10,000 fighters spread in the DR Congo and southern Sudan. The LRA spokesman Godfrey Ayo said at least 1,379 fighters are scattered in areas around Owiny-ki-Bul, a remote village in south Sudan, while nearly 10,000 are still in the Congolese forest of Garamba with LRA boss Joseph Kony. However, the government said yesterday that it would not "engage" in "speculation" about the LRA strength and insisted that the rebels should simply honour the August 26th truce and assemble at the two south Sudan assembly points. The government in the past has put the rebel strength between 400-500 fighters. Negotiations between the parties' delegations in Juba continue. Read more at The Monitor.

The LRA's second-in-command Vincent Otti has said he is aware of a discreet plot by the government to have him and his overall commander Joseph Kony arrested as soon as they leave their hideout in southern Sudan. Otti vowed yesterday to fight for his life if anyone attempted to execute the ICC arrest warrants against him or any of the rebel top leadership. Capt. Paddy Ankunda, the government peace team publicist, scoffed at the accusation. He said, "Our commitment to talk to them and protect them is not in question. They better take advantage of that and come out of the bush. It is only Uganda and South Sudan that can guarantee their security." Otti also reiterated yesterday LRA commitment to peace talks. Read more at The Monitor.

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House International Relations Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations Subcommittee, has urged greater U.S. and international involvement in ending the brutal conflict in northern Uganda. "The international community must engage now in the shaky peace process in Uganda. We cannot afford to allow the greatest chance for ending this conflict slip away," said Smith. Smith made his remarks at a press conference in conjunction with Northern Uganda Lobby Day, where over 700 citizens from 40 states across America visited Congressional offices to push for action toward peace in northern Uganda. Former chief peace mediator Betty Bigombe, Ugandan Paramount Chief Rwot Acana and former abducted child soldier Grace Akallo were among the other participants in the press conference on Capitol Hill. "The once great optimism for a final end to this conflict is quickly dissipating. And with each passing day, more lives are put in danger. The U.S. must be more visible in helping to bring this terrible and despicable war to an end," said Smith. Read more at AllAfrica.com.

The Refugee Law Project, Human Rights and Peace Center and Faculty of Law at Makerere University have co-authored a press statement urging the Government of Uganda to show more commitment to necessary truth-telling and reconciliation for sustainable peace. They write, "We note with dismay that the proposed budget allocated to reconciliation activities is barely 2% of a total proposed budget, nowhere near sufficient to fund some of the proposed initiatives, let alone to set up a national process." The statement continues, "The greatest risk inherent in the Juba talks is that any positive outcome will be portrayed by the Government and understood by a large number of Ugandans as a 'victors' peace.' This would provide at best a shaky foundation for lasting peace...To demonstrate that the Government does not view the peace talks in a narrow and conclusive way, and that Juba is the beginning rather than the end of a national peace process, there is need for a broader process that addresses and provides closure on the many legacies of past conflict and reduces the potential of buried conflicts resurfacing. The organizations recommend that while local mechanisms of restorative justice may be used for reintegration and accountability in Acholiland, all national stakeholders must consider a Truth and Reconciliation Process to address underlying grievances.

Betty Bigombe, who is visiting Toronto today, has said the fragile future of the Acholi people of northern Uganda is in the hands of the international community. Bigombe, who is promoting the new documentary called Uganda Rising, says international support is essential if the historic peace talks in Juba are to succeed. "People are beginning to believe there is hope in peace . . . and we cannot afford to let this hope down," she said. Allan Rock, former Canadian ambassador to the United Nations, said in an interview that it is crucial to keep the two parties talking. "We need a peace agreement by which the LRA agrees to lay down their arms, come out of the bush and stop the violence," he said. He said Canada "should be sending a strong signal [to the Ugandan government] that we expect the parties to reach an agreement soon. But at the same time, we should signal that the international community will be there to help." Read more at The Globe and Mail.

Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, chief of the Ugandan delegation in Juba, has said the government stand that indicted LRA leaders be arrested and prosecuted by the ICC does not contradict the peace process. Rugunda described the ICC as an ally of the Government. He said Uganda filed the case against the LRA rebels and was glad that the ICC investigated. "The government of Uganda has no authority to go to the ICC and withdraw the indictments. The indictments are court procedures. LRA should be advised that they are taking an erroneous line to give ICC conditions. They should drop it," Rugunda said yesterday. Rugunda said it was in the interest of peace and absence of allies in the region to implement the indictments that the Ugandan government has offered amnesty to the indicted rebels. "The LRA need to be advised that the position of government is simple and straight forward: It’s only when we are armed with a peace agreement and LRA has gone through the mato-oput process that the ICC can be asked to review the indictments," he said. Read more at The New Vision.

While peace talks between the Ugandan government and LRA rebels continue, lawlessness and violence is flaring up in the east almost unnoticed. Per Engebak, director of Unicef for east and southern Africa, said even if a peace deal is signed, violence in Uganda's eastern Karamoja region threatens to spill over into the war-weary north. "People up there are armed to the teeth and the security situation is getting worse and worse," Engebak said. "Any long-term recovery in northern Uganda will depend on (ending) the conflict in Karamoja because you have the spillover into other parts of northern Uganda," he said. Engebak said a flood of cheap, easily available semi-automatic weapons was fuelling the violence. "The export of small arms comes across the border from Sudan. There's no (way) to track them down." Read more at