Secretary-General welcomes ceasefire to end 20-year conflict in Northern Uganda
30 August 2006
Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon has welcomed the ceasefire between the Ugandan Government and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) which came into force on 29 August 2006.
Mr McKinnon said, “Our Commonwealth aim is that of the Ugandan Government, which in turn is that of the people of Northern Uganda. It is to consolidate peace, and to get people back into normal, healthy, prosperous and secure lives.”
The Commonwealth has worked behind the scenes to see a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Northern Uganda. On a visit to Uganda in June this year, the Secretary-General discussed with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, including the situation in the north of the country.
The Commonwealth Secretariat is also assisting in the rehabilitation of formerly abducted children. It has set up a Youth Development Centre in the northern town of Gulu to provide training in farming, carpentry, brick-laying, sewing, tailoring and other vocational skills.
“We want – very soon – to see people leaving Internally Displaced Peoples’ camps and returning to their homes. We want to see the women and children abducted by the LRA coming out of their captivity,” the Secretary-General added.
Mr McKinnon said that he supports the decision by the Ugandan Government and the LRA to pursue a peaceful resolution to the conflict. “Stopping the war and getting the peace is our priority right now,” he said.
The 20-year conflict has led to the abduction of more than 20,000 children and the displacement of close to 2 million civilians.
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