Sudan’s Zande refuse the use of their land as assembly point for LRA truce

August 27th, 2006 — Today the Office of Chairman of Zande Community received complains from reliable Western citizens and leaders on the ground about the alleged violations of the rights of the citizens of Western Equatoria when the GoSS mediated peace talks between LRA and Government of Uganda took place that resulted in signing a temporary truce in which LRA forces are allowed to assembly to the designed area of Ri-Kwangba in Western Equatoria.

The people of Western Equatoria and especially Azande were surprised to hear the name of their area mentioned in the agreement as an assembly point for the LRA. Although designation area in Western Equatoria for LRA to assemble there might not be wrong itself, the procedure and the fact that the local people have not been informed or involved in this decision is another violation of the rights of the community as stipulated in the constitution and the CPA.

To make matters worse, Dr. Riek Machar , the GoSS Vice President and mediator , is trying to cover up this lack of involvement of the administration of Western Equatoria in the decision making by covertly arranging for the Commissioners of Ibba, Maridi and Nabanga and the chiefs of these areas to go to Juba, with the intention that when the delegation arrives Juba tomorrow, Dr. Riek Machar will present them with a prepared document on the land for LRA Assembly to be signed. The document will seem to suggest that the local people have given their consent for the LRA camp for assembly to be set up in their area. What is strange is that Dr Riek Machar has not even told the chiefs and the commissioners why they have been summoned to Juba, and they will only be asked to sign such a paper once they are there, giving their consent on behalf of the community whose land will be used for LRA gathering.

This is another example of Western Equatoria Community yet again facing another violation of their rights while sidelining and undermining the WES state Government in participating in matters which can affect their people. Any such agreement should have been presented to WES State Parliament and the state administration and it is they who will deliberate and make their reservations clear and also define terms and conditions for the LRA to be based in their area. By sidelining the state authority and trying to bring local chiefs and commissioners who can only agree to what is presented to them, reminds us of the same tactics used in the round table conference of Juba in 1947 where Southern representatives were gathered like that and forced to accept something detrimental to the interest of the South

Zande Community Chairman and WES Community at large are calling for the delay in forcing the local chiefs and the three commissioners to sign a paper which can affect the conditions and lives of the people and their state. The GoSS Vice President should involve the state administration which is a higher authority and let them have more informative discussions and drawing up terms for the assembly of LRA in any designated area in Western Equatoria. Sidelining and undermining the administration of the Western Equatorians state from taking part in such a tough decision can cause more problems for GoSS and continue to harm relationship between WES authority and GoSS and alienate the local people more, especially when the administration of the state is sidelined. Already there had been countless complains from the local people around Nabanga that even as the LRA are negotiating peace in Juba their soldiers continue to harass and brutalise local people, leading to hundreds fleeing their homes and abandoning their cultivation fields which will mean hunger in the coming season.

Hence the local people have to be informed exactly of the terms under which LRA will gather to camp and what security guarantees are in place and the demands of local people are taken into account. It is worth mentioning that for Eastern Equatoria we are informed that their administration was closely involved in the decision to allow LRA to collect at Owingbul and the state participated in defining the conditions of LRA stay in the area. Why not involve Western Equatoria authority/administration on the same bases then?

Eng. Charles B. Kisanga

Eng. Kisanga is chairman of Azande Community World-Wide Organisation and he can be reached on [email protected], Tel: +44-770899 8373.