In an interview last night with Voice of America, we said it's good news that President Bush is speaking in favor of the Juba peace process, but we remain concerned that escalating talk of regional military action could bring about a return of violent attacks. "We do believe that the President did one thing, which was to raise the profile of peace in northern Uganda, to emphasize that it was an issue important to him. And I think that this is something I can attribute to the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of people that have been marching, that have been writing their Congress members, emphasizing this important issue. At the same time, one of the messages we were trying to send going into this meeting was that the White House had to be clear that now is not the time for military buildup or for military threats against the LRA. With an ongoing peace process that offers the most viable opportunity to end this conflict, the last thing we need is provocation that provides cover for either the Ugandan government or the LRA to withdraw from talks and resume military operations," Peter Quaranto said.

In advance of President Bush's historic meeting today with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Uganda-CAN's other half, Resolve Uganda has issued a statement this morning announcing the launch of our newest policy brief, titled "Giving Peace a Real Chance: Rethinking U.S. Policy Toward Northern Uganda," and encouraging the U.S. to use today's meeting to reaffirm its support for the ongoing peace talks. Below is the full text of the press release:

Washington, D.C., October 29, 2007 --- Tomorrow when President Bush meets his Ugandan counterpart, President Yoweri Museveni, to officially discuss the war in northern Uganda for the first time, the D.C.-based advocacy group Resolve Uganda says the U.S. president has a historic opportunity to advance peace in the long-troubled region.

"Given the United States' strong relationship with the Government of Uganda, President Bush has a chance to use real leverage in tomorrow's meeting to make sure the Ugandan Government is committed to securing sustainable peace for its people," says Resolve Uganda Executive Director Michael Poffenberger.

In a new report released today, Resolve Uganda calls on the U.S. to reaffirm its commitment to ongoing peace negotiations and denounce escalating talk of regional military action.

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This Saturday, October 20, over 100 cities in 15 countries will walk for peace in northern Uganda in GuluWalk 2007. There's still time to sign up and make your voice heard. From Toronto to Tucson to Tokyo to Tweed Heads, Australia, people will "be an icon" for peace in northern Uganda. For more, visit GuluWalk.com.

Reuters AlertNet is today featuring our latest Op/Ed on their homepage, titled "Fighting Chance: Activists are worried about talk of a military solution in northern Uganda." In the article, we write, "The current military buildup is unhelpful and runs a high risk of rekindling violence. It provides a convenient cover for either the Ugandan government or the LRA to back out of the Juba talks. The negotiations, flawed as they are, still offer the best chance to end the LRA security threat and begin addressing deeper grievances." Read more at Reuters AlertNet.

We have a new Op/Ed today in both The Sudan Tribune and The New Vision, titled "The Military Threat to Peace in Northern Uganda." The article begins: "For almost three years, I have been part of the growing movement to press Western governments to respond to the crisis in northern Uganda. International neglect, while aid poured into Kampala, has allowed the war to persist for two decades. Today that silence is history; world leaders from Washington to London to Brussels are speaking about the urgency of resolving the conflict. Yet, priority does not guarantee prudence. In fact, many Western officials have begun making reckless military threats that threaten to undermine the ongoing peace process.

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