ARLPI Letter Respponds to LRA/Northern Uganda Legislation

In response to the recently-passed LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009 (S.1067/HR 2478), the lead voice for a peaceful resolution of the LRA conflict submitted an open letter to Obama last month, a letter that AFJN signed as well. The Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative (ARLPI) has long called on the international community to emphasize peacebuilding, reconcilation, recovery, and crafting a sustainable solution to the conflict.

The letter celebrates the US expressed commitment to supporting recovery in Northern Uganda,but cautions against movements towards renewed military activity. Part of the letter reads

"Military action has time and time again not only failed to end the conflict but caused it to spread into regions once immune to LRA violence resulting in further suffering of civilians. We therefore strongly implore you to prioritize and creatively explore non-violent actions to resolving the conflict. We believe this is the only way to bring a lasting solution that will foster healing and reconciliation in a region of the world that longs for and deserves peace."

Download the full letter here!

Dungu Congress Comminque

Posted August 2010

A Diocesan Congress on Peace was hosted July 12th -14th in Dungu, DRC by the Diocesan Commision on Justice and Peace from the Catholic Diocese of Dungu-Doruma and by Conciliation Resources. The Congressed aimed to "find sustainable solutions to the problems of insecurity in the region and its direct consequences, stemming mainly from LRA activities in the area."

The Congress released a Communique, featuring the group's recommendations for leaders within the LRA-affected areas as well as the international community. The recommendations emphasized the importance of reinitiating dialogue with LRA leadership, addresssing the severe humanitarian needs in LRA-affected communities, supporting the reintegration of defecting LRA combattants, and ensuring inclusion and collaboration of all affected communities and groups in promoting a sustainable peace for the region.

Click here to download the full communique!

 

ICC Review conference: Peace, Justice, and AFRICOM

Eight years after its July 2002 founding, state parties and observers participated in the first ever review of the International Criminal Court (ICC) at a conference in Kampala, Uganda, earlier this month. The purpose of the conference was to review the Rome Statute (the court’s founding documents) and its impact on affected communities, as well as some of issues at play in its being carried out, such as notions of complementarity, cooperation, peace and justice.

Read more: ICC Review conference: Peace, Justice, and AFRICOM

AFRICOM on the Horn of Africa: The military’s fumbling humanitarian foot forward

Posted on June 9, 2010

By Allison Burket, Associate Director

This article was initially published in our May -June 2010 newsletter

One of the stated advantages of the new U.S. military command for Africa (AFRICOM), has been that not only is it the first military command dedicated exclusively to Africa, a continent increasingly on our national security radar screen, but that it would also be one designed to take an innovative approach to security. Civilian and military leaders alike have increasingly emphasized the importance of addressing root causes of insecurity when trying to promote stability abroad, a trend that, in and of itself, could theoretically encourage a less militarized approach to foreign policy.

Read more: AFRICOM on the Horn of Africa: The military’s fumbling humanitarian foot forward