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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Northern Uganda Lobby Day and Symposium, held Monday and Tuesday in Washington D.C., was a tremendous success. In the coming days, we will be posting photos, quotes and anecdotes from the historic two days. The Washington Post included a story about the events in today's edition. They write, "Donning yellow and orange t-shirts, 700 activists from across the country pressed legislators and Capitol Hill staffers yesterday on the need for high-level American involvement to bring peace to northern Uganda." John Prendergast, senior advisor to the International Crisis Group said it boldly: "The absence of the Bush administration from the talks is condemning millions of northern Ugandans to a fate little better than death in the endless IDP camps. For a few pennies and a little diplomatic energy, the Bush administration could help bring peace to northern Uganda." Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-N.J.) said he was going to call Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to ask her to send an envoy to the Uganda peace talks. Read the full story at The Washington Post.

The Rev. Richard Cizik, vice president of governmental affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals, has written a powerful Op/Ed in The Philadelphia Inquirer, calling for U.S. support for peace talks. He writes, "If there was ever a time for international political will to galvanize around ending a crisis, it is now. The United States, which has considerable influence on the Ugandan government, should put its weight behind the talks and support this historic opportunity for peace...In March, the White House announced that ending the war in northern Uganda by the end of 2006 was a priority. Yet the administration has still not sent a delegation to monitor the talks, and requests from mediators for funding and technical assistance have not been met." Read the full Op/Ed at The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Today, over 700 activists from more than 40 US states met with legislators and political representatives to press for a resolution of the conflict in northern Uganda. Participants lobbied for the U.S. Bush Administration and State Department to publicly support the historic peace talks underway in Juba. They also called for increased funding for reconstruction and reconciliation efforts. Media Coordinator Caroline Green said that while the international community has a vital role to play in keeping the negotiations on track, she believes that the US influence is indispensable to stop the talks from collapsing. "We've seen basically no international will whatsoever behind these peace talks. And there's a feeling that unless the international community pushes both sides to remain at the negotiating table, then these talks might be in danger of collapsing," she said. Green said that the participants all agree that, "US support would be vital to get them to stay at the negotiating table. And we've heard them really ask and plea for the American government that a statement of support for the Juba peace talks would go a long way to motivate and build more confidence in the peace process." Read more at The Monitor.

27 non-governmental organizations, including International Rescue Committee, Oxfam, Refugeess International and World Vision, have co-written a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, urgently requesting U.S. support for fragile peace talks in Juba. The letter reads, "These peace talks are a crucial opportunity to end the endemic violence and massive displacement in the region, but they are also an important vehicle to begin addressing the conflict's root causes and the marginalization of the north. We appreciate the Administration's leadership in trying to bring peace to the region. It is our hope that we can work with you to build on this legacy..." Next week, more than 600 advocates will travel to Washington D.C. to continue the call for U.S. leadership to ensure that this brutal war is brought to an end. If you won't be joining us, you can still help by calling your political representatives on October 10th and urging them to act now.

John Edwards, former U.S. Senator and running mate of Democratic candidate John Kerry, has just returned from his visit to northern Uganda. He writes in an email to his supporters: "Uganda is home to one of the greatest unreported humanitarian crises in the world -- millions of people have been displaced from their homes and subjected to horrific violence...What's happening in northern Uganda is similar to conditions elsewhere, like Darfur . But with a peace process underway, this is a great opportunity for Americans to show we care about the suffering of people around the world." Read more at the One America Committee.

The European Parliament yesterday took what may be a belated effort to have the European Union assume a greater role in the ongoing Juba peace process. Members of Parliament from the legislative body of the EU convened for a special session yesterday, which Luisa Morgantini, the Chairperson of the Development Committee of the House, said was meant to inspire a more proactive EU role at the talks. "While recognizing the efforts already taken, the EU must take leadership to address the conflict in northern Uganda. Twenty years of conflict have wreaked devastation to millions caught up in this terrible war," Ms Morgantini said. Read more at The Monitor.

As peace efforts for northern Uganda hang in the balance, the European Parliament today takes an important step in debating actions it can take to support an end to 20 brutal years of conflict. The hearing in the Parliament is being held in conjunction with the launch of a newly updated edition of "Only Peace Can Restore the Confidence of the Displaced," a report produced by the Norwegian Refugee Council and the Ugandan-based Refugee Law Project. "While recognising the efforts already taken, the EU must take leadership to address the conflict in northern Uganda. Twenty years of conflict have wreaked devastation to millions caught up on this terrible war” says Luisa Morgantini, Chairwoman of the Development Committee. She is speaking at the hearing taking place today in the European Parliament." Read more at the International Displacement Monitoring Centre.

The LRA's second-in-command Vincent Otti has dared Washington to back President Museveni's 'Plan B' against the rebels and risk facing the rage of a rebel scorned. In an interview on Tuesday, Otti said if the US risked and colluded with Kampala to hunt them down, they would go down like the UN peacekeepers whom the rebels killed in the DR Congo. "I don't bother about America," Otti said, "Even if it was the whole world. I will get bothered when I die; even the same Americans can be killed by the bullets we have here and it will not take me a week to get back into Uganda to fight if Museveni is serious with his Plan B against us." He maintained that the rebels were committed to a peaceful resolution to the northern conflict and said, "We hope that the Juba peace talks become meaningful but if they want to fight us, then we shall also fight to defend ourselves." Read more at The Daily Monitor.

Global Youth Partnership for Africa is planning a number of trips in 2007 to send young people to Uganda and Sierra Leone to explore to the role of youth in post-conflict peacebuilding and reconstruction. Applications are due November 1st. Visit the GYPA web site to apply and learn more.

The United Nations is making an appeal for funds to support the mediation and peace efforts, led by the Government of South Sudan, to bring a lasting and just peace to northern Uganda. This is excellent news, because as we mentioned last week, the GoSS is deeply in need of financial and technical support to continue this critical peace process. Even further, this shows UN commitment finally to give needed high-level backing to this opportunity to end the 20-year war.

President Museveni has said Uganda will expect U.S. support to hunt down the LRA's top leadership if the Juba peace talks do not yield a comprehensive peace agreement. At yesterday's State House meeting with John Edwards, the former North Carolina Senator who was John Kerry's running mate in the 2004 US presidential race, Museveni hinted that with the peace talks mired in a circus of generic proposals, Plan B may already be in motion. The peace talks, Museveni said, are only about improving Joseph Kony's life expectancy and not fixing an insurgency. According to a statement from the State House, Edwards promised to lobby for the passing of the resolution that would allow for the pursuit, disarmament and demobilisation of the LRA. Read more at The Monitor.

This news is greatly troubling given the critical need right now to fully engage the Juba peace talks as the best opportunity in over a decade to end the war. While peace talks have continued, the number of attacks and abductions of civilians have decreased nearly completely, and many people have been able to return home from the squalid camps. Hostile statements or actions that undermine the talks by either party shows a failed commitment to the basic rights and protection of the people of northern Uganda.

The East African Standard has printed a compelling, yet controversial account of a possible story behind the Juba talks. According to the paper, President Museveni embraced the peace talks after receiving intelligence reports from the US CIA that indict his top aides for complicity in the war. Sources within the Tanzania Defence Forces told the paper how Museveni had for two decades been duped by his top military commanders, senior government officials and relatives into chasing a mirage. "For as long as the conflict in the north persisted, people close to Museveni were in business. They supplied LRA with weapons and war logistics. On their own LRA were not skilled and equipped enough to engage in common combat," a senior defence officer said. According to the same source, Museveni was shocked by the CIA reports and sought to re-constitute his security forces, along with seeking a peaceful end to the conflict that would not expose these secret relationships. Read more at The East African Standard.

In recent weeks, Uganda-CAN, along with numerous other non-governmental humanitarian and human rights organizations, have urged the U.S. government and other international actors to break their silence and provide support to the Uganda peace talks underway. We see at least four critical ways that the US and UK governments can bolster talks and support mediation. First, the peace secretariat led by chief mediator Dr. Riek Machar needs logistical and financial support. Second, the cessation of hostilities monitoring team deeply needs reinforcement to more effectively monitor and report on the situation. The CHMT is critical for confidence-building. Third, there is need for humanitarian assistance to those LRA combatants that reach the assembly points. Fourth, the international community can provide essential humanitarian assistance to women and children formerly held in captivity by the LRA. All of these needs demand that the US and UK break their silence and endorse this historic opportunity to end the 20-year suffering of people in northern Uganda.