Former Bush Admin. official writes in Washington Post on "Price of Peace in Uganda"
In yesterday's Washington Post, former Bush Administration speechwriter and now CFR Senior Fellow Michael Gerson wrote an Op/Ed, titled "The Price of Peace in Uganda." Gerson writes, "For Congress and the Bush administration to prove their seriousness about a peace agreement will require more than the pay of a new diplomat." Gerson is right, but it still seems sending a senior U.S. official to northern Uganda is a key first step to convey U.S. commitment to the peace talks and coordinate greater U.S. involvement to support an end to this horrific war.
Gerson seems to place more faith in military action to end the war. He argues, "The United Nations has more than 18,000 peacekeepers in Congo, with a mandate to oppose destabilizing forces. They should act aggressively to prevent the LRA from putting down roots in Garamba Park. And the United States should support them by sharing intelligence, perhaps providing radar to track suspicious flights into the region and paying what we owe for U.N. peacekeeping." Again, most support heightened intelligence and U.N. peacekeepers to protect civilians, but the danger is that sudden military activity could derail the peace process in which northern Ugandans have placed their hopes. Sudden military activity could undermine the very "African solutions to African problems" that Gerson earlier advocates. Gerson's analysis also seems to focus only on LRA atrocities, and not the grievances many in northern Uganda have against the Ugandan government.
Nevertheless, Gerson's article and arguments in The Washington Post highlight growing attention to this once neglected crisis, Africa's longest running war. That is something we can all celebrate. Read the full Op/Ed at The Washington Post.
Gerson seems to place more faith in military action to end the war. He argues, "The United Nations has more than 18,000 peacekeepers in Congo, with a mandate to oppose destabilizing forces. They should act aggressively to prevent the LRA from putting down roots in Garamba Park. And the United States should support them by sharing intelligence, perhaps providing radar to track suspicious flights into the region and paying what we owe for U.N. peacekeeping." Again, most support heightened intelligence and U.N. peacekeepers to protect civilians, but the danger is that sudden military activity could derail the peace process in which northern Ugandans have placed their hopes. Sudden military activity could undermine the very "African solutions to African problems" that Gerson earlier advocates. Gerson's analysis also seems to focus only on LRA atrocities, and not the grievances many in northern Uganda have against the Ugandan government.
Nevertheless, Gerson's article and arguments in The Washington Post highlight growing attention to this once neglected crisis, Africa's longest running war. That is something we can all celebrate. Read the full Op/Ed at The Washington Post.