A breaking news article from Reuters reports that the LRA contingent that has crossed into the Democratic Republic of the Congo, led by LRA second-in-command Vincent Otti, is to be forcibly disarmed by Congolese forces. The Government of Uganda claimed the group numbers only 50, but UN officials who viewed the LRA encampment reported at least 300 rebels armed with heavy machine guns and advanced communication systems. A Congolese military official, General Padiri Bulenda, told Reuters that the rebels would have to be disarmed in order to prevent the thousands of Ugandan soldiers sitting on the nearby border from crossing to attack.

Previous demands that the rebels disarm before any negotiations could ensue were not heeded by Otti and his group. An Amnesty Act in Uganda would have allowed the soldiers to return and not be prosecuted in national courts, but pending arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court likely deterred Otti from surrendering.

As these 300-400 LRA forces are largely children, abducted and forced to fight, Uganda-CAN does not support this military campaign but instead urges the Government of DRC, the Government of Uganda, and the UN to negotiate with the group, even before they disarm.

The Daily Monitor reports that the United States has said the longstanding war in northern Uganda is one of its major concerns. Ms. Ellis Margot, the new mission director of USAID, said the U.S. government is working to bring an end to this 19-year old conflict. She further said that the conflict in northern Uganda is a big problem that demands attention by both Uganda and the international community.

Margot said this on Wednesday during her maiden visit to Gulu district just five weeks after her posting to Uganda. She was previously based in the West Bank/Gaza.

USAID is supporting several activities in Gulu including a reception centre for formerly abducted children, a shelter for night commuters, a youth centre for HIV/Aids prevention, sign language training for deaf trainers, a supplemental and therapeutic feeding centre, and a road building project that employs internally displaced persons. Read more here.

We at Uganda-CAN are excited about Ms. Margot's commitment to supporting a swift and lasting resolution to the conflict in northern Uganda. The U.S. government has begun to become more engaged in this neglected humanitarian crisis, and we believe even further engagement will be critical. Visit Uganda-CAN's legislative page to see concrete policy steps the United States can and should take to support peace in northern Uganda.

The Daily Monitor reports today that the Government of Uganda (GOU) is seeking quick arrest warrants for top Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) leaders, following some of their alleged relocation to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Speaking from London, Sam Kutesa, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said the government may be running out of time to have Joseph Kony and five of his top commanders prosecuted before the International Criminal Court. Read more at AllAfrica.com.

Xinhua reports that the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Defense Minister Adolphe Onusumba has promised the international community that the DRC, with the help of UN forces in the region, will disarm a group of LRA rebels hiding in a national park in the northeastern part of the country. Last week LRA commander Vincent Otti and the 50 LRA soldiers crossed into the DRC from southern Sudan last week, reportedly to seek political asylum.

According to The New Vision, the U.S. government has backed a planned military operation involving Uganda, Sudan and the SPLA to defeat the Lord's Resistance Army rebels in Uganda, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The U.S. security advisor, Steve Hadley, met with President Museveni in Washington and assured him of U.S. cooperation in the operation.

Although Uganda-CAN welcomes high-level attention from the US government to the conflict in northern Uganda, we urge Steve Hadley and other U.S. officials to give greater attention and support to Betty Bigombe, Uganda's chief peace negotiator with the LRA, and initiatives aimed at bringing about a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Many in northern Uganda believe that only a peaceful resolution to this conflict will bring a lasting peace.

In efforts to foster regional peace, legislators from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda have committed to ensure the implementation of peace treaties agreed upon by governments in the region.

The AMANI Great Lakes Parliamentarians Forum held two-day meetings in Kigali, Rwanda this week. Norbert Mao, chairman of the forum and Ugandan MP, said, "We need action taken in terms of accelerating peace in our region." Read more at AllAfrica.com.

Reuters reports that Jan Pronk, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's special envoy in Sudan, has said that the peace agreement between southern Sudan's SPLA and the Khartoum-based Sudanese central government is fragile. Pronk was briefing the UN Security Council on status of peace efforts in Darfur and southern Sudan. He said that Dr. John Garang's death last July, which caused sporadic rioting, has been followed by a recent upswing in LRA activity in southern Sudan, as well as reports that some elements of the Sudanese military were still supporting the rebel group. He also expressed concern over the possibility of renewed conflict in southern Sudan as refugees begin returning to their homes there despite delays in the arrival of crucial humanitarian aid and UN peacekeepers.

Uganda-CAN urges the world to think of the conflicts in southern Sudan, Darfur, and northern Uganda as part of an interrelated regional conflict which can only be resolved through cooperation among all parties and the signing of regional peace agreements. Read more on Uganda-CAN's website about southern Sudan and Darfur and information on key actors there.

Xinhua reports that US National Security Advisor Steve Hadley promised Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni that the US would provide cooperation and support to planned joint military offensives between the UPDF, SPLA, and Sudanese government against the LRA. He also promised Museveni that he will ask the US's UN representative John Bolton to urge greater UN presence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where over a band of LRA soldiers are believed to have recently fled.

Although Uganda-CAN welcomes high-level attention from the US government to the conflict in northern Uganda, we urge Steve Hadley and other officials to give greater attention and support to Betty Bigombe, Uganda's chief negotiator with the LRA, and initiatives aimed at bringing about a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

An attack yesterday by LRA rebels on a school bus between the towns of Juba and Yei in southern Sudan left 14 dead, reports SudanTribune. Most of the casualties were women and children.

"The LRA is a big source of concern for us. The government of south Sudan will take all the necessary steps to expel them so we can protect the civilians who live in these areas," Pagan Amun, a senior official in the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M) said.

LRA forces recently crossed the Nile to the western side, where they have been conducting attacks in Sudan. Some have reportedly moved across the border into the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These movements represent a major shift in the dynamics of the conflict. AllAfrica reports that Ugandan President Youweri Museveni has called for the extradition of Kony and LRA commanders from Congo and Sudan.

Thirty-two cities from around the world have made the commitment to participate in GuluWalk Day and walk in unison for the ‘night commuters’ of northern Uganda on Saturday, October 22, 2005.

Every night as many as 40,000 children living in rural northern Uganda walk into the town of Gulu and other urban centres to sleep in relative safety and to avoid abduction by the rebel army. These ‘night commuters’ walk from as far as 12km away and make the return trek home every single day.

From Toronto (Canada) to London (UK) to Washington, DC, and even Gulu and Kampala, Uganda, GuluWalk Day has positioned itself to be the largest ever show of solidarity for this all but forgotten 19-year civil war.

After the success of the one-month GuluWalk in Toronto in July, the response worldwide was astounding and has resulted in this international civil movement. It is a one-day event that will send a clear message that this is a vital issue to citizens worldwide and that they will no longer sit idly when there is indeed an opportunity for peace.

The original GuluWalk, which lasted for 31 days, saw Adrian Bradbury and Kieran Hayward conduct their own ‘night commute’. Every evening in July they walked 12.5 km into downtown Toronto to sleep in front of city hall. After about fours hours sleep they made the trek home at sunrise, all while continuing to work full-time and attempting to maintain their usual daily routine.

Cities set to participate in GuluWalk Day on Saturday, October 22, 2005 include:

Canada - Calgary, AB; Edmonton, AB; Halifax, NS; Kitchener, ON; Montreal, QC; North Bay, ON; Ottawa, ON; St. John's, NF; Toronto, ON; Vancouver, BC; Winnipeg, MB

USA - Austin, TX; Boston, MA; Chapel Hill, NC; Denver, CO; Lawrence, KS; Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; Pittsburgh, PA; Rochester, NY; Seattle, WA; South Bend, IN; Syracuse, NY; San Diego, CA; Washington, DC

World - Beijing (China); Coventry (UK), Gulu (Uganda); Kampala (Uganda); London (UK); Stockholm (Sweden); Uzice (Serbia)

GuluWalk Day is a proud partner of the Act for Stolen Children in Northern Uganda campaign, which is designed to raise public awareness, increase public support and raise funds to aid children affected by the humanitarian crisis and conflicts in northern Uganda. The campaign is also designed to encourage and support governments to play a leadership role in resolving the crisis in northern Uganda via work with the International Criminal Court and the United Nations, and other agencies.

To get involved or start a walk in your community, contact Christine at cmcglinchy@ugandacan.org.

For more information, visit www.guluwalk.com and www.actforstolenchildren.org, or contact Adrian Bradbury at adrian@guluwalk.com.

Human Rights Watch has today published a report, "Uprooted and Forgotten: Impunity and Human Rights Abuses in Northern Uganda," which documents atrocities commited by both the Lord's Resistance Army and the Ugandan army against the civilian population. As the war continues in its 19th year, 1.9 million displaced civilians remain vulnerable to rape, murder and other abuses by both the rebel and army forces.

Jemera Rone, Uganda researcher at HRW, said, "Uganda has asked the International Criminal Court to investigate and prosecute abuses by the Lord's Resistance Army. But the Ugandan army itself has carried out serious crimes that demand prosecution."

HRW calls for meaningful national prosecutions, which would provide a valuable supplement to the ICC's investigation. In addition, a broad truth-telling process would give the people of northern Uganda a forum to raise and speak out human rights abuses that have occurred during the war.

Read the report at the HRW Web site.

AllAfrica reports that Olara Otunnu, who recently resigned his post as UN Under-Secretary for Children and Armed Conflict to focus on lobbying for peace in Uganda, equated the situation in the country's northern region to genocide.

"The genocide unfolding in northern Uganda is happening on our watch, and with our full knowledge. Why is there no action?" he asked an audience at Lehman College in New York on Friday.

A recent World Health Organization report brought to light the devastation taking place in northern Uganda's camps for the displaced, where approximately 1.5 million live and, the report notes, 1000 are dying per week due to the effects of the war. Such high mortality rates, coupled with the unravelling of local culture, bring many call the conflict a slow genocide of the Acholi, Langi, and Iteso tribes. When will the horror end?

Uganda-CAN calls for fuller engagement from the international community to bolster the efforts of mediator Betty Bigombe to bring a peaceful end to the conflict. Massive efforts will also be needed to facilitate the return of internal refugees to their land, to undertake reconstruction and education initiatives for a generation lagging behind, and to organize a national forum for truth-telling and reconciliation.

Accompanied by several state ministers, President Yoweri Museveni held talks this week with United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan. The meeting centered around issues of security, peace and development in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. Museveni and Annan also co-chaired a regional summit on Burundi, welcoming President Pierre Nkurunziza and applauding Burundians upon achieving peace. Read more on Allafrica.com.

In addition, earlier in the day, Museveni met with President Geroge W. Bush at the UN Headquarters. Bush also hosted Museveni to dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Read more at the State House of Uganda's website.

Check Uganda-CAN's Legislative Page to see relative information on the United Nations in northern Uganda as well as specific actions Uganda-CAN is advocating the American Government to take.

The newly reopened Juba Road saw attacks by LRA forces today, but this time west of the White Nile River. This, the first time the LRA has crossed the river, marks a new stirring point for great tension in Juba and the surrounding area. With promises of security being beefed up by Southern Sudan's Vice-President Raik Machar, the LRA continues to incite havoc in the region indicating need for a greater effort in yielding a more comprehensive peace strategy. Read more from The BBC here.

Check Uganda-CAN's Great Lakes Region page to see more on the connections between Uganda and Sudan.

The major road linking northern Uganda and southern Sudan has been reopened after nearly two decades of insecurity and violence. This development comes primarily as a result of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed between the SPLA/M and Government of Sudan earlier this year to end the 21-year-old civil war there. There are fears, however, that is the Lord's Resistance Army is not addressed expeditiously, they could provide spoiler for the CPA and regional security. For more, read Reuters AlertNet.

Reuters AlertNet reports that the International Rescue Committee has renewed its call for international intervention to expedite a peaceful resolution to the longstanding conflict in northern Uganda.

The IRC called on all parties in the conflict to "work seriously toward a negotiated and sustainable peace settlement and national reconciliation [and to] protect civilians, ensure that their rights are respected and adhere to International Humanitarian law and Ugandan law."

Tomorrow, the United States Senate will hold a briefing entitled, "Finding a Regional Approach to the Crises in Southern Sudan, Darfur and Northern Uganda, Post-John Garang." The briefing will be held 2-3 pm in SC-4 (the Omaha Chamber) and will be open to the media and public. Speakers will include John Prendergast (International Crisis Group), Rory Anderson (World Vision) and Bridget Moix (Friends Committee for National Legislation). The event was introduced jointly by Senators Dick Durbin, Sam Brownback, Mike DeWine and Jon Corzine.

Uganda-CAN played a role in the drafting of a letter by non-governmental organizations that catalyzed this Senate briefing. We are very excited about it and hope it will be a fruitful discussion of how the U.S. government can more actively engage and support efforts to protect civilians and achieve peace in the conflict-torn areas of Darfur, northern Uganda and southern Sudan.

We are asking U.S. citizens to contact your representatives in the Senate and House to ask them to pay special attention to this briefing.

Reporting from the Uganda North American Association convention in Minneapolis -

Today's festivities kicked off with the forum on peace and stability in Uganda, particularly looking at the longstanding conflict in northern Uganda. I was joined on the panel by Opiyo Oloya, a Canadian high school principal and columnist for the New Vision, George Piwang-Jalobo, Director of the Center for Conflict Management and Peace Studies at Duke University and Msgr. Matthew Odong, secretary-general of the Acholi Religious Leaders for Peace Initiative.

Two general messages resonated throughout the discussion. First, the failure of the Government of Uganda to protect its own civilians over the last decade calls for international action to end this crisis. Second, this conflict cannot be seen any longer as solely a "northern problem" or Acholi affair; it must be seen as a Ugandan problem, and even more, an international/humanitarian issue. The text of my remarks will be available later here.

Following the forum, the two keynote speakers, Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota and U.S. Ambassador to Uganda Jimmy Kolker presented on U.S-Uganda relations. Senator Coleman talked about Ugandan support for the war on terrorism and combatting HIV/AIDS, but he failed to address the war.

Ambassador Kolker, however, spent significant time addressing the war. He said the Government of Uganda needs to do a better job protecting its civilians. Further, he questioned the merits of a military approach when most of the LRA is made up of children. Ambassador Kolker highlighted the important work of Betty Bigombe in mediation, and said the U.S. stands ready to help with the resettlement challenges that may soon face northern Uganda.

Reporting from the Ugandan North American Association convention in Minneapolis -

After a drive through the rolling meadows of Wisconsin, I arrived at the annual UNAA convention today, an event that brings together Ugandans from the U.S., Canada and Uganda. Tonight's festivities included a stirring opening ceremony, complete with a beauty pageant and children fashion show.

Following the opening ceremony was a "town hall meeting" debate with representatives from the major political parties of Uganda: National Resistance Movement Organization (NRM-O), Democratic Party (DP) and Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) (suprisingly, the Uganda People's Congress was not represented). Of the questions from the audience, over 2/3 were related to the conflict in northern Uganda and the government's role in resolving the longstanding war.

Earlier in the discussion, one of the NRM-O representatives proclaimed that Uganda had seen a "peaceful continuity of 20 years." This statement really stirred people, and provoked much anger. I wonder if he could have comfortably made the same statement standing in Kitgum town.

Later in the discussion, Honorable Okello, another NRM-O representative, proclaimed that the resolution of the war demands a strong role of the international community. That will be the subject of my talk tomorrow morning on a forum regarding peace and stability in Uganda. I will specifically talk about the role those of us in North America can and must play to obstinately demand such international action.

More news from Minneapolis to come tomorrow.