Those who are concerned about the potential for conflict between international justice and peacemaking may have reason to worry about the developing turf battle between the Ugandan government and the International Criminal Court. Uganda is in the 19th year of its war against the brutal Lord's Resistance Army, and thanks in large part to the availability of sanctuary in Sudan and the DRC, the government has neither managed to defeat the LRA on the battlefield nor press successful peace negotiations. The new political climate in Sudan has provided a window of opportunity, however, and in a recent meeting, Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni and southern Sudanese president Salva Kiir Mayardit issued a joint stick and carrot ultimatum to LRA leader Joseph Kony. In particular, the two presidents pledged to wage a coordinated military campaign against him if he didn't surrender by July but agreed to "guarantee him safety" if he made peace before the deadline.
It might be expected that the international community would support this joint effort to bring a destructive war to a close. Museveni's proposal, however, drew instant objection from the ICC, which argued that Uganda had no authority to recall the case it referred for prosecution three years ago:
The International Criminal Court has reacted angrily to President Yoweri Museveni's overture of peace to Joseph Kony, saying it expects Uganda to meet its obligation to arrest the leader of the rebel Lord's Resistance Army. [...] “It’s the government of Uganda that referred the situation to the International Criminal Court in December 2003... they are now under obligation and made a commitment,” the court’s spokesperson Sandra Khadouri told the BBC’s Network Africa programme.
According to a press release from Uganda’s State House, during a meeting with British overseas development minister, Hilary Benn, the Ugandan president said the rebel leader had until the end of July to end the war peacefully. “If he got serious about a peaceful settlement, the government of Uganda would guarantee his safety,” the statement added.
But Ms Khadouri said the charges against Kony and four other LRA commanders were “serious international crimes."
One need not be an apologist for the LRA or an advocate of impunity to wonder whether the ICC's objections are misplaced. In the scale of things, justice for a single individual, even one like Kony who is unquestionably guilty of atrocities, pales beside ending a destructive war that has killed thousands and laid waste to much of northern Uganda. And given that peace is made by political rather than legal means, many countries have found that compromises such as amnesty are necessary to resolve conflicts. If Kony surrenders, and if Uganda makes the difficult choice of granting amnesty to him as the price of peace, then the best thing for the ICC to do is to respect the government's choice. To insist blindly on legal justice in this case is to ignore the fact that peace in itself is just.
[Crossposted to The Head Heeb]
THE SUDANESE ORGANIZATION FOR DEVELOPMENT OF
AFRICAN CULTURE (SODAC)
Date: 23/08/2006
From: Chairman, SODAC
To: All Peace – loving people
Let south be attractive to Southerners
Dear All,
We shouldn’t make things late if it’s late will be too late for us to live in harmony among ourselves, then we need to ensure dialogue to be the key process for today south crisis to avoid , hatred, tribalism, nepotism and conflict lead to corruption in the area.
Through dialogue, we will build an understanding among ourselves and from understanding comes recognition of our common interest.
Understanding that Based on common interests, we will build a common program for the peace, we believe that we will have real peace if we put it first before justice, before having good title (boss or Banydid), even before security. From the real peace flows prosperity, security, equality and measure of justice in the south regardless their tribes, gender and religion. God created us to live in love, peace, respect and hormonally. But due to our selves’ desire and selfishness are the cause of the suffering, the paining and hardship condition of living we experienced and continuous to experience in the south up to now. Therefore, we need to turn away from the evil acts, and listen to God. he
Is faithful and merciful to us and will answer our needs in no time.
This is an open appeal to GOSS, Religion Leaders, intellectuals, Southern Parties Chiefs, Elders, Youth and all peace lovers to work hard, to promote and to support initiation for the below dialogue forum proposals:
1- Dinka and non Dinka dialogue ( since Dinka is the majority tribe in the south)
2- Dinka Dinka dialogue forum (since there is conflict among themselves), e.g., Dinka Agar against Gok and Atwet, Dinka Agar etc…….)
3- Nuer shilluk Dialogue
4- Equatorial Equatorial dialoge e.g,.( Bari against Monadari ,Toposa Latuka etc……….)
5- Zande Moro dialogue
6- Lou (Jur) against Fertit Dialogue
With the above proposed dialogue forum, we are aiming to make south attractive first to southerners who suffered of being homeless in northern parts of the country and in the Diaspora for the period of more than 21 years. As we know at the moment south is not attractive though the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) is signed for more than year, but still our people is facing insecurity ,tribalism conflict and unclean area from the land mines threatening the free movement of cattle keepers and agricultural activities in the region.
Such things are the main obstacles for the stability and sustainable development.
The day dreamer’s are dangerous people against their own people. They may act out of their dream without open eyes and so make things difficult for the Southerners to enjoy the fruit of peace which they fought for almost fifty years. We need to fight discrimination, nepotism, corruption, killing, looting in order to have chance for development, education, heath and nationalism to happen to our people in the south and to ensure DDR program to be easy to each tribe.
The UN mission plus other NGOs should be enforced to speed up to fulfill their mission which they are entitled for.
We are peaceful people of the Sudan .No people wants peace more than us then we need to protect it and maintain it by enforcing love and unity among ourselves without any hypocrisy. Our families have suffered greatly before so we need to be careful not to repeat the past history again. Let’s us make peace attractive for the development and investment in the region, and to encourage one another to continue in this task that is so vitally and important to all of us, We shouldn’t forget to think of the sacrifices made by our fathers, brothers killed in war because of this peace. We should not easy let their deaths go without meaning to us.
Lastly and not the least, we will not feel the stability in our land unless we live in mutual respect that turn our energies to cooperation and constructive enterprise which will open to us the bright future to our coming generation.
I hope the out come of our proposals if have got room in us will reflect for the benefit of the greatest united southern people.
God bless us all
Stephen Sebit James
Chairman
Sudanese organization for development of African culture (SODAC)
Tel:+249922903410
E-Mail:sodac01@hotmail.com
Mr Chairman,
If all southern Sudanese work had for Justice and peace. There will be no need to remind people on what Justice and Peace is all about.
I entirely know that those who cry for Justice and peace are those who fail to get the Country's share of potatoe.
RAMCIEL IS THE MUNDARI LANDA (TALI)
By Stephen Sebit James Hakim
Email: sodac01@hotmail.com
Tali were the first capital city of Southern Sudan in the earliest of 1890 at the time of the Gordon Robert Not Juba. Tail was chosen by British as the capital of south Sudan due to the following reasons. The climate and the geographical area of Tali Located as centre of the bordering Upper Nile, Bharel Ghazal and Equatorial. With the proved that there is a post written in Enghish indicating the Distance from Tali to Landon, cape of good hope,Yirol, Amadi and Juba. Tali are the historical places whereby the first military Headquartered instituted for the Sudan defense force by the British army where our late Hero Ali Abdalatif (Tokmac) graduated from. After that it was transfer to Torit owing to difficulties of getting drinking water.
The First martyr of was Nyombe Malu from Mundari tribe (Tali )who was shot dead due to the first muting which started in 1955, then that was the beginning of the struggle for the Southern for the their country.
The actual names of Tali were known as Borongonga means brave and strong like wild Animal (Lion, rhino etc...) but due to the corrupted administration of the British; the Name was replace with the British officer by name Tail when they open police post then the people is calling the post is tail post of policy. Upon our looking into the southern map we discovered and present Ram-ceil of today was known as Remo cattle sell centre; (Remo is the munadri names of person) which was given the to native traders within an interest to sells their cattle business for the simple reason of being within the middle of the south. And now with coming of SPLA this place of Remo /Ramciel was proposed to be the capital of South before the death of our Hero and son Dr. John Garang de Mabior; which I do belief it was the right choice from the SPLA to chose this Historical place as the capital in the same way it was chosen by the British as strategic place for the military garrison. Ramciel is part of Mundari and Dinka Yirol based on this I do suggest; Call advise government of South Sudan not to overlook the old capital or Marginalized its people from the government or historical background of the places. I am saying this not for the reason of being a mundari or son of Tali;
I am saying for the sake of the safety; because capital must be in the meddle
Of its people so that it may not encountered any attack easily from the outsiders or foreign invaders that may have ill intension about us in the future. The second to that the present capital of to-day known as Juba is not different from Rumbek which was proposed as the capital but abandoned as the matter of having the nearest water table from underneath. Juba is a mountainous earth quake area that can explode at anytime in any moment. So why build capital in risky area where our resources and children will one day be the victims of volcano and earth quake; let some of the Equatorian ; Barians; and Agar Dinkas may not think that I against their places for being the capital I am for the safety.
Tali or Ramciel as capital was my proposal or Mundari Tali proposal instead it is the proposal of British and the SPLA
Comments