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Act for Peace in Uganda
by Mary Stata
September 15, 2009
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 "For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope." Jeremiah 29:11
For the past two decades the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebel group has threatened communities in northern Uganda and across central Africa by brutally targeting civilians and abducting thousands of children. Even though the LRA is small in numbers (less than 1.500 members), their ruthless attacks have wreaked havoc on the region and caused massive internal displacement of civilians.
In response to warrants issued by the International Criminal Court, the LRA left northern Uganda and set up shop in neighboring eastern Congo. Since early 2009, the LRA has regularly staged abductions and attacks on civilians. Sources now indicate that they are active in Central Africa Republic, southern Sudan and northeastern Congo. What started as a small rebel group in northern Uganda has now turned into a regional threat.
Northern Uganda itself is currently trapped in a precarious "no peace, no war" environment. While major attacks by the LRA ended in 2005, the failure to reach a peace agreement leaves the people of northern Uganda feeling vulnerable and insecure. The Ugandan government is closing IDP (internally displaced people) camps and forcing civilians to return home, despite an absence of social services, a lack of local government capacity and a fragile security situation.
The U.S. Congress has introduced the Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009 (S. 1067/H.R. 2478). This bill addresses many of the broader development and justice challenges faced by northern Ugandans. This bill allocates crucial development aid to a region that has been ravaged by conflict. Further, it provides funding for transitional justice mechanisms which could lay the foundation for a sustainable peace.
While there are admirable aspects of this legislation, Mennonite Central Committee along with other partners is concerned about provisions of the bill that could invoke military action in apprehending and disarming the Lord's Resistance Army. Previous military operations have failed to stop LRA activity and instead sparked renewed attacks on civilians and massive internal displacement.
God's plans are for good and not harm. As peacemakers, we are called not only to avoid war but to actively work for peace. As difficult as this can seem in a far-off place such as Uganda, there are things we can do. We can help to speak truth to our leaders on behalf of the people of Uganda and Congo who are longing for peace and stability.
Send an e-mail to your Member of Congress (<http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5764/t/5764/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1791>), urging them to be more attentive to the need for peace in Uganda. Communities affected by the LRA are in need of the long term recovery and development funding that this bill would provide. Nevertheless, renewed military action could further destabilize an already troubled region.
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