Thursday was quite a day. In the morning we stopped by the local government officials office to pay our respects. This is a typical practice in Africa. The district governor was busy in a meeting with local elders. We overheard that elders were making plans for a visit from a peace delegation that included members of the Lords Resistance Army. The LRA is currently locked in three way negotiations with the government of Uganda and Southern Sudan. As part of the peace effort, the LRA agreed to send a delegation of representatives around to Acholi villages to gather their input and extend their request for forgiveness.
Of course, this was a spectacular revelation. We jumped into our SUV’s and drove to an IDP camp about one hour south of Kitgum. A few minutes after we arrived, a motorcade roared into town flanked by machine gun toting soldiers wearing raincoats and sunglasses.
The delegation also included army officers from Uganda, Kenya, South Africa and other African countries. Lawyers, politicians and negotiators were also present. The entire village turned out as the team paraded through the village, ending at the local school. Several thousand people gathered under a huge Mango tree to hear speeches, music and poetry. “Stop the war, stop the war,” the children pleaded.
At one point, an LRA spokesperson stood and asked the assembled villagers for forgiveness for the crimes committed by the LRA. Current negotiations are stalled because the International Criminal Court has indicted top LRA leaders. If negotiations were up to the LRA and the Acholi people, the war would be over tomorrow. As it stands, a final resolution must wait. Still, these are real signs of hope.
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