Call for amnesty extention
2003-12-31 15:50
Kampala - Religious leaders in war-torn northern Uganda appealed on Wednesday for an unconditional extension of an amnesty set to expire New Year's Day for commanders of rebels fighting a 17-year insurgency against the government of President Yoweri Museveni.
The Christian and Muslim leaders initiated peace talks in 2002 between the government and the Lord's Resistance Army, or LRA, but the talks have stalled.
"We are making the following appeal for peace at the close of the year," the leaders said in a three-page statement sent to The Associated Press. "We appeal to the government of Uganda to unconditionally extend the amnesty. Any amendment to this law could close the path to peaceful negotiation."
In November, Museveni he was not disposed to renew the amnesty to the leadership of the shadowy organisation that has been fighting in a civil war in which nearly 1.5 million people have been displaced.
The LRA has abducted and dragooned thousands of youths and children into its ranks since the insurgency broke out in northern Uganda in 1986 after Museveni took power when his forces won a five-year bush war against remnants of the then army, many of whose members were from northern Uganda.
"The president is very clear on the question of the amnesty. He says that the ring leaders of the terrorists like (LRA leader) Joseph Kony will not benefit from any extension of the amnesty, but others who are victims of these terrorists can be given a chance to surrender because most of them are captives," Museveni's press adviser Onapito Ekomoloit told The Associated Press.
"The LRA leaders have been given the chance to repent, but instead they continued to rape, kill and maim people. To extend amnesty to such people who are holding thousands of children in captivity is being insensitive," he said.
In October 2001, President George W Bush added the LRA to a list of international terrorist organisations, and Uganda is one of the few African countries that have enthusiastically supported the US invasion of Iraq.
In their statement the religious leaders appealed to the international community to encourage Museveni and the rebels to talk peace.
"If we look at the map of Africa, we realise that so many conflicts in recent years have come to an end or are on the way to being solved with international intervention. What about ours? For this we need the international community to persuade the government of Uganda and the LRA to embrace dialogue," the statement said.
- SAPA