UN chief appeals for support end to LRA war
June 17, 2012 (WASHINGTON) – The United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon has openly appealed for international support to enhance regional
efforts in ending the threat posed by the Ugandan rebel group, the
Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).
impact of LRA activities,” said Ki-Moon in his letter on the
activities of the United Nations (UN) regional office for Central Africa and on LRA affected areas.
“Only by providing the necessary resources will we be able to ensure
the success of continuing efforts by the national authorities, the
African Union and other international partners in this regard,” he
adds.
The UN chief’s report, issued on 11 June 2012, was reportedly
submitted following the request of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), contained in a statement issued by its President on 14 November 2011, in which the Secretary General is required to inform the UNSC about
activities of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa
(UNOCA) and developments in relation to LRA.
The Joseph Kony led LRA are known to have carried out the worst of its
atrocities in northern Uganda in the 1990s, but had, by 2004, largely been driven out of the area through a sustained military effort. However, remnants of the insurgent group reportedly continued to attack civilians in South Sudan, the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Ki-Moon, in his report, presented an update on activities undertaken
to counter the LRA threats to regional peace and security, further
highlighting the major development in the Central African region.
These include, among others the political and security issues,
socio-economic, human rights and gender as well cross border threats.
Over 445,000 people, according to the UN Secretary General, had, as of
31 March 2012, been displaced or were living as refugees because of LRA
activities in CAR, DRC and South Sudan, with an estimated 341,000
internally displaced persons in DRC’s Orientale province alone.
Despite all these, Ki-Moon says the UN and African Union (AU) launched a
coordinated response, which saw both its special representative and
Francisco Madeira, the special envoy of the AU for LRA issues, visit the LRA affected countries to assess progress in efforts to address the threat posed by LRA.
“They obtained from all stakeholders consulted renewed commitment to
the implementation of the AU led Regional Cooperation
Initiative against LRA,” he said.
The UN chief also lauds the role of the 5,000 AU and UN backed troops
from Uganda, South Sudan, the DRC and Central African Republic,
currently on a joint mission to end the LRA insurgency, which he said
was part of initiative authorised by the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC).
In the report, Mr. Ban says he is encouraged by the growing
cooperation among stakeholders working to eliminate the threat posed
by LRA. In March, the four countries affected by the LRA’s activities
launched a joint military task force to pursue the rebel fighters.
“I am encouraged by the growing cooperation among stakeholders working
to eliminate the threat posed by LRA,” he said, while calling upon the
international community to support the implementation of a coordinated
regional strategy to address the threat and the impact of LRA activities, including through disarmament, demobilization, repatriation, resettlement and reintegration efforts.
“Only by providing the necessary resources will we be able to ensure
the success of continuing efforts by the national authorities, the
AU and other international partners in this regard,” Ki-Moon added.
(ST)