The Washington Post has written an article about the legal dilemmas surrounding LRA leader Joseph Kony. The article quotes Michael Poffenberger, co-founder of Uganda-CAN and now executive director of Resolve Uganda. The article says Resolve Uganda "has argued for a more traditional form of justice. It would involve Kony and his men admitting responsibility for past crimes, asking for forgiveness and agreeing to pay some form of compensation to victims or their survivors." However, the article quotes ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo: "As a prosecutor, I want to arrest Kony and his men...His destiny is the dock...There is no conflict between peace and justice. Apprehend them tomorrow, and you have peace and justice on the same day." Read the full article at The Washington Post.

Members of the U.S. Congress have publicly urged President Bush to provide diplomatic support to the ongoing peace talks to end the 21-year war in northern Uganda, Resolve Uganda announced today. 17 members of the Senate and 27 members of the House of Representatives signed and sent a letter to the White House, requesting that the President dispatch a senior diplomat to Juba to act in direct support of the negotiations. "Dispatching a senior U.S. diplomat to the peace talks between the Ugandan Government and the LRA will demonstrate our commitment to bringing peace and stability to the people of northern Uganda," said Senator Russ Feingold, who led efforts to get support for the letter in the Senate. "A strong U.S. presence will contribute much-needed urgency and legitimacy to these negotiations, which offers a chance to end more than two decades of suffering."

In particular, the letter to President Bush says that a senior-level U.S. diplomat could better identify strategies to strengthen negotiations. The letter reads: "This individual could convey critical legitimacy on the talks and would provide valuable advice on the ground and information about the U.S. government’s support for the African-led process and our willingness to provide assistance as appropriate." The letter to President Bush comes after a number of congressional resolutions and public demonstrations requesting greater U.S. engagement of the peace process. "This letter demonstrates the growing sense, not just in Congress, but in all of America, that our government’s public absence in this process is unacceptable," said Michael Poffenberger, Executive Director of Resolve Uganda.

Following the letter’s release, Ambassador to Uganda Steven Browning said that the U.S. government supports the peace talks and has been "in constant, behind-the-scenes contact with people at the table." Browning further announced that U.S. assistance to northern Uganda would increase this year to over $100 million. "These efforts fall short of the public engagement needed to bring leverage and trust to the process. The emphasis on private over public involvement evades accountability and feeds suspicion about U.S. intentions," said Poffenberger. Read the full release at The Sudan Tribune.