SUBMISSION BY THE LEADER OF THE LRM/A PEACE DELEGATION ON THE OCCASION OF THE LAUNCHING OF AGENDA NUMBER 3 ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND RECONCILIATION AT THE PEACE NEGOTIATION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF UGANDA AND THE LORD’S RESISTANCE MOVEMENT/ARMY
JUBA – SOUTHERN SUDAN.
(Friday, June 1, 2007)
Your Excellency President Joachim Chissano - Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General;
Your Excellencies; members of Diplomatic Corps representing various governments supporting the Peace Process; Your Excellencies Observers of the Peace Process; Representatives of the Governments of the Republic of South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo; Your Excellencies, Gallant sons of Africa representing Africa Union and your respective Countries on the Cessation of Hostilities Monitoring Team, Your Excellencies, Facilitators of the Uganda Peace Talks;
Your Excellencies; the Acholi Paramount Chief Rwot Achana II, and other cultural leaders from Lango, Teso and West Nile. Your Excellencies, Religious Leaders, Archbishop John Baptist Odama, Emeritus Bishop Macleod Baker Ochola, Musa Kalil and colleagues. Representatives of respective political parties from Uganda. Representatives of various interest groups including civil society from Uganda;
Your Excellency Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Salutation
1. Allow me to begin this session by presenting to you on my own behalf and on behalf of the Lord’s Resistance Army/Movement Delegation the compliments of the Lord’s Resistance Army Leadership to the Chief Mediator, Dr. Riek Machar, Vice President of Southern Sudan, my colleague the Leader of the Uganda Government Delegation, His Excellency the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General, their Excellencies the Representatives of the governments of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Mozambique, the United Republic of Tanzania, and the Republic of South Africa, Esteemed delegates representing the Lord’s Resistance Army and the Government of Uganda, and last but not least the advisors and observers to the peace talks taking place here in Juba between the Lord’s Resistance Army and the Government of the Republic of Uganda.
2. The Lord’s Resistance Army/Movement wishes to avail itself of this opportunity to reaffirm its long held commitment to a comprehensive negotiated solution to the conflict in northeastern and northern Uganda in which the Government of Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Army/Movement are the contending parties. The Lord’s Resistance Army/Movement also wishes to extend deep and sincere appreciation to the Government and people of Southern Sudan for the spirit of concern they have displayed and the supportive role they have continued to play in nurturing the dialogue between the Lord’s Resistance Army/Movement and the Government of Uganda. We have gone through very trying times and there were moments when it seemed to us that all hope was fading away, but the Government of Southern Sudan and its people remained steadfast in its commitment to accompany the people of Uganda in the pilgrimage for reconciliation and sustainable peace. They have done this in a true spirit of good neighborliness and African solidarity.
3. The current phase of the negotiation between the Lord’s Resistance Army/Movement and the Government of Uganda that will focus on the issue of accountability and reconciliat