US to exert pressure on Sudan to stop arming Uganda rebels
By Frank Nyakairu
KITGUM, Uganda, Oct 9, 2004 (The Monitor) — A United States official has said his government will do everything possible to ensure the Sudan government respects Uganda’s sovereignty.
The Usaid Assistant Administrator for Africa, Mr Young Frank, made the comments while visiting Kitgum district on Thursday.
“We will do all that we can to make sure that they live up to their responsibility of respecting the territorial integrity of Uganda,” Young told The Monitor.
His comments followed a request by the Minister of State for Northern Uganda Reconstruction, Ms Grace Akello, to the US government to exert more pressure on Sudan to stop arming the LRA led by Joseph Kony.
“We ask you kindly to try and do something on our neighbours because you have seen the suffering the war has brought to our people,” Akello said.
Addressing hundreds of internally displaced persons (IDPs) at Labuje Camp in Kitgum town, Young asked the Uganda government to negotiate with the LRA to end the insurgency.
He said the US government has been trying to bring the Uganda government and the LRA to a round table, but they have not succeeded.
“We have been working very hard to try and get both parties (in the conflict) reach a peace agreement so that you (IDP) go home. The problem has been to get both sides to sit and agree. We shall continue to put pressure on both sides,” Young said. He said more parties were needed to pressure government and the rebels to change their opposition to peace talks.
“We shall continue to [press for] peace not only through our good offices, but also through other institutions and the European governments to try to encourage both sides to realise this war has no winner. The conflict has only losers and we hope soon we will get them sit on a round table,” Young said.
He toured St Joseph’s Hospital Kitgum and promised to help the hospital with logistics to cope with medical needs of the IDPs and the general local population.
The northern insurgency has displaced about 1.6 million people while thousands have been killed, raped or abducted.
The International Criminal Court is investigating LRA commanders for war crimes.
The LRA has had its bases in southern Sudan from where it launches cross-border incursions into Uganda.