Inner City Press reports that France's Ambassador to the UN Jean-Maurice Ripert said the Security Council could suspend ICC arrest warrants for top LRA leaders for months or a year "if the government pursues its own tribunal or...traditional pursuits." According to the agreements in Juba, the Ugandan government will approach the UN SC after a final deal is signed to get suspension of indictments (Article 16 of Rome Statute). "I'm not saying we'd support it," France's Amb. Ripert said. However, the willingness of the UN SC to even discuss the issue is a show of their flexibility if in fact the LRA is truly committed to disarming.

We don't often do this, but please take a few minutes to watch this New York Times slideshow about the crisis in Somalia. Last month, The Independent called it "the world's forgotten catastrophe" and UNICEF said it was "the worst place for children."

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The progress of the Juba peace process to end northern Uganda's 22-year war has been named one of the UN's 2007 list of "Ten Stories the World Should Hear More About." Read northern Uganda's "story" here, along with the other nine.

The U.S. State Department has issued a major press statement urging the Ugandan government and LRA to sign the Final Peace Agreement to end their 22-year war. The statement further says, "As an observing party, we intend to participate fully in the proposed Oversight Forum, which would be formed to assist with implementation of the agreements. We will continue collaboration with the Government of Uganda to provide development support for northern Uganda and demobilization, disarmament, and resettlement assistance for ex-combatants." As the parties feud over the signing of the agreement, U.S. commitment to respect and help implement the FPA should be a boost of confidence. Read the full statement here.

BuaNews reports that the South African cabinet has approved the deployment of members of the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) to northern Uganda, as part of an African Union mission there. It is unclear whether these SANDF forces are meant to just bolster the Ceasefire Monitoring Team or will play a greater role in implementing the peace agreement and protecting civilians. Meanwhile, the cabinet also approved the extension of the deployment of SANDF members to the Central African Republic and the troubled Darfur region in western Sudan to help strengthen of the UN/African Union Hybrid Force (UNAMID) there.

In article published this month the International Crisis Group examines the International Criminal Court’s role in northern Uganda, asking, “What happens – and what should happen – when efforts to prosecute perpetrators of mass atrocities coincide with a peace process?” Read the full article here.

The International Crisis Group has released a new policy briefing on threats to the fragile peace in southern Sudan. ICG writes, "Sudan’s North-South peace will remain at risk and Darfur will be unsolvable unless the parties to the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and the international community actively recommit to its implementation." ICG reports that "the risk of new fighting is growing in the oil-rich Abyei area" and that the northern-based National Congress Party may still provoke violence before the promised 2009 elections. Meanwhile, the southern Sudanese People Liberation Movement "remains divided on its priorities, between those who favour a southern-first strategy and those who support a national agenda." Finally, ICG argues, "The international guarantors and the UN remain dangerously disengaged, due in part to preoccupation with Darfur and in part to a lack of consensus on the way forward." Instability in southern Sudan in the near future would surely undermine the progress made through the Juba peace process.

The Monitor reports that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has asked the Ugandan government to provide it with information on the competence of the proposed special courts that would try indicted LRA commanders. The order was contained in a letter signed by the three ICC judges addressed to the Justice Ministry in Kampala. This is a shift by the ICC which had insisted until now that it would only accept the arrest and punishment of indicted LRA leaders at the Hague.

A local member of parliament and other officials are accusing a group of LRA rebels of raiding a remote border town in Central African Republic (CAR) last week and abducting 80 residents. "We heard from our compatriots in Obo that the rebels invaded and looted the town, and forcefully abducted 80 people. They left, but we do not know where they are now," Obo's member of parliament, Auguste Agoude said. CAR authorities and the U.N. mission in the country have sent teams to investigate. If true, like other recent allegations, this could cast doubt that the rebels are truly committed to disarming and demobilizing through the Juba peace deal. Read more at Reuters.

A LRA legal team met today with a body of the International Criminal Court to discuss “procedural issues” relating to the ICC indictments of three top LRA commanders. The team reportedly visited the Netherlands-based ICC with the intention asking that the Court drop the indictments. However, chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo refused to meet with them and they instead met with the Registry, which does “not engage in substantive discussions with any of the parties on the merits of cases before the court.” Instead, the body gave clarifications on procedures and time limits for the filing of documentation and materials to the LRA delegation. Read more the IHT, or read the ICC press release.

Just a quick note: The UN Security Council, under the Russian presidency this month, has announced that a briefing on the peace process in northern Uganda is planned for the week of 24 March. If a final peace agreement is signed by then, the Security Council may have to begin discussion of suspending the ICC arrest warrants in the interests of peace and security.

UNHCR reports that UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres pledged Tuesday to do more to support the return of hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people (IDP) in northern Uganda. During a visit to the north, Guterres said it was "our obligation to help," adding that Uganda had been a generous host nation to refugees from neighboring countries and deserved support from the international community. "It is clear that you all want the peace deal to be signed and after that you want investments to be made in health, water, education and roads to help you go home," the High Commissioner told people. "I am sure that a large majority want to go home to farm the land and we are here to support that," he said.

In an interview with The Monitor last week, Ambassador Vincent De Visscher discusses the role of the European Union in supporting the ongoing peace process. He also highlights the crucial role the international community will have as guarantors of a final peace agreement, saying, “The most important [thing] is not to sign a piece of paper but rather to start implementing the agreement on both sides. We hope that both parties will implement faithfully this agreement. It’s a question of time, and we have to be very vigilant and remind both parties of their obligation to deliver.” Read the full interview at The Monitor.

The International Criminal Court has once again rejected a demand by the LRA rebels to have indictments against their top three leaders lifted before they sign a final peace agreement. The LRA delegation is expected to go to the Hague tomorrow, but the procedures in the ICC reportedly do not allow them to meet the prosecutor. If the ICC position holds, the only avenue for suspending indictments will be the UN Security Council as granted by Article 16 of the Rome Statute. Read more at The New Vision.