Quick Update

The peace process is looking better in Uganda. There has been a tremendous amount of back and forth between President Musevini and Joseph Kony's negotiating team since the deadline was again extended (this time until March 28). Kony has verbally agreed to sign the final peace agreement in person. Hopefully we will see that come to fruition. Musevini has been in the UK talking with delegates from the International Criminal Court (ICC) pleading with them to drop the International charges against Kony and his top advisers. Kony has said that he will only sign the agreement if the international charges are dropped. He has, however, agreed to being tried in a special court in Uganda that follows traditional means of allowing victims to seek justice. Also, it has been decided that the attacks that occurred in the Sudan several weeks ago that had been attributed to the LRA were actually committed by another group. Though the LRA has been accused of several attacks since (including recently abducting 80 people in the Central African Republic), this sheds doubt on many of those claims. With all of the progress in Uganda, I am trying to stay optimistic. Here are a few articles detailing the advancements in the peace process:

Museveni remarks excite LRA rebels (New Vision)
Uganda offers "blood settlement" to LRA rebels (Reuters)
Museveni rejects Hague LRA trial (BBC News)
Uganda's LRA Rebels Welcome President Museveni's ICC Comments (Voice of America News)
Uganda’s LRA rebels abduct 100 children in CAR-report (SomaliNet)
Uganda: Sudan Reluctant to Hunt for LRA Rebels (AllAfrica.com)

Best,
Matt