OneWorld.net (U.S.)

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 26 (OneWorld) - Cautiously optimistic about the prospects for peace in northern Uganda, leading international aid groups are welcoming the United Nations' efforts to bring the warring parties in that country to the negotiating table.

"We welcome the opportunity Joaquim Chissano brings to help all key actors address the root cause of the conflict," said Jennifer Abrahamson of Oxfam International, a charity group that has been at the forefront of calling the world's attention to the humanitarian crisis in northern Uganda.

Chissano, who is the UN special envoy and former president of Mozambique, chaired a meeting between the Ugandan government, the rebel group known as the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), and other community representatives early this month after talks had faltered.

"His neutrality, political background, and diplomatic expertise will help coordinate among all the different stakeholders to address the crisis," said Abrahamson about Chissano. However, she cautioned that Chissano may not be able to "single-handedly secure a lasting peace" for the civil war.

The humanitarian group urged the UN Security Council and the international community as a whole to support Chissano's efforts by increasing pressure on the Ugandan government and the LRA to commit to peace.

After a briefing from Chissano on the latest developments, the Security Council called for the extension of a "cessation of hostilities" agreement that both the government and rebels reached last year. The 15-member panel expressed hope that peace talks could resume soon.

On Thursday, the South African ambassador to the UN, Dumisani Kumalo, who holds the rotating presidency of the Council this month, urged the LRA to release all women, children, and other non-combatants to the conflict.

According to Kumalo, the Security Council noted that in recent weeks the security and humanitarian situation in northern Uganda has improved, but much more still needed to be done.

The fighting stopped just seven months ago, following successful efforts by the government of Sudan as a mediator. However, it is believed that more than 1 million people are still internally displaced in the region.

The armed conflict between the government and rebel forces has been going on for the past 16 years. During the conflict, the LRA became notorious for abducting children to be used as soldiers or porters.

The LRA, which claims to be fighting for the rights of the Acholi ethnic group, has also been accused by human rights groups of killing innocent civilians, raping women, looting stores, and burning schools.

The group, according to Refugees International, a Washington, DC-based humanitarian organization, is believed to have kidnapped over 30,000 children since 1986.

On charges of committing crimes against humanity, four of the group's top military commanders are currently facing warrants from the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC).

Observers say that before Chissano's involvement, the peace process was not moving forward in large part because the military leadership of the LRA was afraid of the charges leveled by the ICC. On March 11 when Chissano led the meeting between the government and rebel representatives in southern Sudan, he also met with LRA leader Joseph Kony.

Humanitarian groups say their operations in southern Sudan, where the LRA has established its bases, were severely disrupted before this month's UN-led initiative for the resumption of the peace dialogue. They also said they feared another wave of bloodshed in the region was imminent.

According to Oxfam, by mid-January nearly 23,000 internally displaced people had already begun to return to their homes, but a vast majority remained in camps due to fears that the LRA would return to fighting.

"People are finally returning to farming land after being dependent on international aid for decades," noted Abrahamson, who appeared worried about the fact that more than 1 million people would continue to need help from aid agencies to survive.

"Those living in camps have little or no access to land," she said. "Even those who are resettling lack access to clean water and other services."

The aid groups' assessment of relief supplies to the region suggest that a shortage is likely to occur very soon as the UN consolidated appeal for funding for Uganda has achieved only 15 percent of its target.

Noting that the UN food agency has already decided to cut food supplies for the displaced people by half, Oxfam urged the world community to take swift actions for both peace and humanitarian aid.

"Blood will stain the international community's hands," said Abrahmason, "if it doesn't do what it can do to end Africa's longest-running conflict."

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