On the verge of peace in Uganda?

• U.S., international community must strengthen engagement in peace talks
• Winning the peace demands quick, massive investment in rebuilding and development
• World Vision peace advocate available for interview to discuss peace talks and reconstruction

July 14, 2008 — Today, negotiators complete a second year of peace talks between the Ugandan government and the rebel group Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), who have fought a brutal civil war for more than 22 years. In the coming weeks, they may also see their work rewarded.

LRA leader Joseph Kony recently requested meetings with U.N. negotiators and the Ugandan government to clarify points of a final peace agreement. One LRA negotiator suggested that Kony could sign the agreement within the week.

In the meantime, agencies like World Vision working in war-torn northern Uganda are eager to see the agreement signed, but also caution that a piece of paper will not alone ensure peace and rehabilitation.

“Clearly, a peace agreement is crucial for the people of northern Uganda to be able to rebuild their shattered lives in peace and safety, but it’s not the only factor,” said Rory Anderson, World Vision’s deputy director for advocacy and government relations. “The international community, lead by the United States, must not only continue to engage on the peace talks, but invest in rebuilding the region in a way that doesn’t re-ignite conflict.”

World Vision staff currently are calling for the following:

• Funding to help those displaced by the conflict to move back to their villages and begin rebuilding their homes, farms and communities;
• Funding for infrastructure in areas that have been destroyed by a generation of war;
• Long-term reconstruction and development;
• National reconciliation efforts to address the ethnic tensions underlying the current conflict.

“This kind of tangible investment is essential” said Anderson. “Only last week, the United Nations reported that less than one-third of recovery programs in northern Uganda have the funding they need.”

WHO
Rory Anderson, deputy director for advocacy and government relations, World Vision, United States

WHAT
The possible signing of a peace agreement in northern Uganda and the need for investment in reconstruction and rehabilitation in the region

WHEN
This week, by appointment

WHERE
From Washington, D.C. by phone or in-person

For more information, please contact Amy Parodi or Cynthia Colin.

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. We serve all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. For more information, please visit www.worldvision.org/press.