International Rescue Committee Alert UGANDA PEACE TALKS FACE COLLAPSE February 26, 2007

Uganda faces an imminent return to armed conflict unless urgent action is taken to rescue stalled peace talks between the Ugandan government and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).

Negotiators representing the LRA have suspended their participation in the Juba peace talks being held in south Sudan, and a resumption of hostilities is likely unless all stakeholders take decisive and immediate action to resume the talks. The Cessation of Hostilities Agreement that was widely seen as the best prospect to end the 21-year war when it was negotiated last August, is set to expire on February 28.

Two members of the U.S. Senate said continuation of the talks is essential.

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wisc.), Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on African Affairs, said, "With the current ceasefire between the Government of Uganda and the LRA set to expire soon, the U.S. and the international community must step up our efforts to achieve a sustainable and lasting peace. During two decades of violence in northern Uganda, hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians have been killed or mutilated and tens of thousands of children have been abducted, forced into combat and subjected to torture and sexual violence. The ongoing negotiations between the two parties offer the strongest opportunity to end the war and begin the healing process for this deeply troubled nation.

"As Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on African Affairs, I will continue to push for increased humanitarian assistance, as well as diplomatic and logistical support for the talks between the Ugandan Government and the LRA, to promote progress towards sustainable peace in Uganda."

Breakdown of negotiations and the subsequent resumption of hostilities would lead to intensified insecurity and the deterioration of humanitarian conditions in Uganda, Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Central African Republic. The hopes of more than two million people displaced by the conflict rest on the successful settlement of the negotiation process.

Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), a long-time advocate for increased attention to the crisis, said, "Over the last two decades the people of northern Uganda have suffered brutal atrocities at the hands of the Lord's Resistance Army. Thousands of children have been abducted and forced to kill their families, and countless women have been raped and brutalised. The violence must end now. With the ceasefire set to expire at the end of the month and with the peace talks stalled, we must continue to put pressure on all parties involved to remain at the table and reach a peaceful solution to the conflict."

Both Sen. Brownback and Sen. Feingold said they welcome efforts by President Bush and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon to press Uganda and the LRA to resume peace talks, and encourage their leaders to sustain their investment in the talks by providing additional diplomatic and financial support.

For more information contact:

Shannon Meehan The International Rescue Committee shannonm@theirc.org 001 503 740 8402

Michael Poffenberger Resolve Uganda mpoffenberger@ugandacan.org 001 574 229 1301