Eastern Equatoria MPs in Sudan yesterday discussed today a motion on the increasing insecurity in the region. This move came after vehement attacks by state MPs against government inertia, requesting a swift action vis-ŕ-vis attacks by the LRA. The state parliament interrupted its normal business to discuss an emergency motion on insecurity posed by LRA specifically in Magwi County. Fr. Dominic Otwari said the LRA has occupied part of his constituency and are harvesting crops of the indigenous people while the government is doing nothing to push LRA out from southern Sudan territory. He claimed that LRA have occupied his constituency since January 20 this year and that there are more than 150 LRA forces at Lofirika village. This highlights how embedded LRA networks have become in southern Sudan communities. The state parliament continues discussions for swift action against the LRA rebels. Read more at The Sudan Tribune.

The newly appointed UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon made a brief stop-over at Entebbe on Friday night, during which he hailed Uganda for its role in conflict resolution in Africa. "We appreciate the role Uganda has played in assisting to resolve conflicts, especially in the Great Lakes region," Ban told the Minister for East African Cooperation, Eriya Kategaya. While Uganda may be a leader of conflict resolution in some countries, the statement seems a bit insincere given the 21-year humanitarian nightmare in northern Uganda. Still, over 1.4 million people remain displaced in the most squalid camps. Their hope, the historic Juba peace talks, appear to be collapsing due to LRA intransigence, but also UPDF violations of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement. Ki-Moon, if he is serious about promoting peace and development throughout Africa, should not ignore the realities of suffering in northern Uganda. He would show true leadership to strengthen the peace process and urge both parties to adhere to the terms of ceasefire.

Save the Children has issued a press release, saying the international community must act now to prevent the collapse of Ugandan peace talks and protect the future of millions of children. They write, "If talks fail, children, particularly in the north of the country, will once again live in fear of the physical, emotional and sexual violence that dominated the decades-long conflict in the north. The emergency situation in northern Uganda is worsening by the day. Increasing ambushes and attacks risk obstructing humanitarian aid trying to reach communities in the Pader district, and this could quickly spread to other areas." Save the Children is "urgently calling on all international parties to strongly press the LRA and government forces to adhere to the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement and negotiate a final and binding settlement to the conflict. Both sides face challenges, but these can be overcome with external assistance and pressure."

Omar Kalinge Nnyago writes in The Monitor today that the collapse of Juba peace talks could lead to the Great Lakes Region unraveling into violence. He writes, "A resumption of hostilities is a possibility. The defence budget could shoot through the roof again, internally displaced persons would increase and a political fallout in the North, not a particularly pro-government area would be inevitable. Internal security would decline, not a desirable situation for a country that has months to host an important event as CHOGM." If hostilities do resume, Nnyago says President Museveni could call for a regional intervention force or some form of U.S.-led intervention. However, this would have complications as the LRA is now spread to DR Congo, southern Sudan and possibly even Chad and Central African Republic. This highlights the entrenchment of the LRA war in broader regional security dilemmas. Only a comprehensive approach, bolstered by the international community, to achieving regional stability will make real progress.

The new UN Special Envoy to northern Uganda, Joachim Chissano, on Saturday visited internally displaced peoples camps ahead of a planned meeting this week with the LRA leadership. Chissano addressed residents of Mon-Roc displaced people’s camp at Bungatira, Aswa county in Gulu district. "The only solution to all your problems is to have peace to return to the area. This will make you go back to your homes and resume a new life. So, let us support the peace talks in Juba so that Joseph Kony and his rebels come out of the bush," he said. Read more at The New Vision.

A leading UK newspaper, The Guardian, has published an article suggesting that the ICC's insistence on executing its first-ever arrest warrants has become an obstacle to peace in war-torn northern Uganda. The article says this controversy is threatening to bring "fatal damage" to the Court's credibility. The newspaper writes, "Court officials are privately furious, not only because they risk seeing their historic first case reduced to farce, but because they launched the inquiry at the request of the Ugandan government, which is now accusing the ICC of neo-colonialism." Yet, an underlying problem remains that the ICC lacks any enforcement mechanism, relying on the will of state parties to the treaty. For the last 21 years, such militaries have proven inadequate to end the war and protect the 2 million civilians caught in its throes in the north. For this reason and the complex needs of reconciliation, northern Ugandan leaders have urged support for the current peace process and local forms of accountability and restoration. Read the full story at The Guardian.

Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir has said he is willing to use force to oust the LRA rebels. He was addressing a crowd in Juba stadium yesterday, during celebrations marking the second anniversary of the Sudan Comprehensive Peace Agreement. "If it means using military confrontation, I am ready to use military confrontation to chase the LRA out of Sudan," Bashir said. "They should go and rebel from their own country." Bashir also denied his army had any involvement in the recent ambushes on the main roads linking Uganda to Juba, which killed at least 60 people since October. Speaking ahead of Bashir, South Sudan President Salva Kiir said he had kept the peace talks going because he believed the LRA was genuinely interested in peace in northern Uganda. Read more at The New Vision.

As the Transitional Government seeks to establish control over the whole of Somalia, the U.S. State Department has sent Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer to the region to provide diplomatic support. Uganda President Museveni has also traveled to Ethiopia and offered 1,000 troops to serve as peacekeepers in Somalia. As the political officials meet to discuss these important developments, this could be a crucial moment to also advance peace in other humanitarian hotspots, namely war-torn northern Uganda. As we outlined in our latest policy brief, the U.S. Government has been "missing in action" since the historic Juba peace talks began six months ago. U.S. support for the process would be critical to strengthen its prospects for success. Continued inaction suggests that peace in northern Uganda is a low priority for the Bush Administration; a contradiction from a statement earlier that President Bush wanted the war over by the end of 2006.