![]() |
Community of Sant'Egidio and Peace |
|
Uganda |
|||
Uganda Cessation of Hostilities Agreement Uganda
|
26/08/2006 This Agreement (herein referred to as the �Agreement�) signed BETWEEN the Government of the Republic of Uganda (GoU) and the Lord�s Resistance Army/Movement (LRA/M); both parties hereinafter referred to as �the Parties�; witnesseth that: WHEREAS the GoU and the LRA/M are currently engaged in peace negotiations in Juba, Southern Sudan, being mediated by the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS). DETERMINED to bring back peace to Northern Uganda and the conflict affected areas in Eastern Uganda thereby consolidating peace throughout the country; CONVINCED of the urgent need for reconciliation at the individual, community and national levels; COMMITTED to finding comprehensive and durable solutions to the conflict by peaceful means and through dialogue; DETERMINED to end the effects of the conflict on the peoples of Uganda, Sudan and the Region; RECOGNISING the progress we have made in our negotiations so far; COGNISANT of the need to create a conducive environment for the successful completion of the peace talks. NOW THEREFORE, the Parties hereto agree to a Cessation of Hostilities as follows:
The Parties agree to cease all hostile military action aimed at each other and any other action that may undermine the Peace Talks.
The Parties agree to cease hostile media and other propaganda campaigns, including any action that undermines the standing of the other.
The Parties agree that the forces of the LRA shall surface wherever they may be present.
a) The Parties agree that places of worship in Uganda, designated in consultation with religious leaders, may serve as sanctuary for the LRA forces, if they so choose, from which they will proceed to Assembly Areas. b) The Parties agree that all LRA forces in Uganda and Sudan will assemble at Owiny-ki-Bul in Eastern Equatoria State on the eastern side of the River Nile and those in the DRC at Ri-Kwangba in Western Equatoria State on the western side of River Nile.
On commencement of the Cessation of Hostilities, the Government of Uganda shall order its Armed Forces to guarantee safe passage to the LRA within Uganda to enable them to move to the designated Assembly Areas.
a) The Sudan People�s Liberation Army shall monitor and protect the LRA at the Assembly Areas. b) In the event of failure of the peace talks, the LRA shall be allowed to leave the Assembly Areas peacefully.
The Parties shall ensure that the terms of this Agreement are widely communicated to their forces and all concerned, through, but not necessarily limited to;
The LRA shall complete their movement to the designated Assembly Areas within three (3) weeks of the declaration of the Cessation of Hostilities. In the event the assembly process is not completed within three (3) weeks, the Parties shall review the situation.
a) There shall be a Cessation of Hostilities Monitoring Team (CHMT) that shall report to the Mediator and shall be composed of:
b) In the implementation of its functions, the CHMT shall be in regular contact with the civil and political leaders and the Mediator. c) The Terms of Reference for the Team shall include, but not necessarily be limited to:
a) The Government of Southern Sudan shall provide food and service support to the LRA at the Assembly Areas. b) In the course of assembling the forces of the LRA, the GoSS may, in collaboration with the LRA and specialized humanitarian agencies, assist the LRA in its declared intention to re-locate and make separate provisions for any non-essential members of the LRA in the care of specialized humanitarian agencies.
After the assembly of the LRA in the Assembly Areas, the Agreement shall be renewed bi-weekly upon review of the progress of the negotiation and compliance by the parties.
This Agreement shall come into force at 0600 hrs on Tuesday, 29th August 2006 upon declaration thereof by the Commander-in-Chief of the Uganda Armed Forces and the Leader of the LRA/M.
Any dispute arising from the implementation and/or interpretation of this Agreement raised by the CHMT shall be resolved by the Mediation Team.
In witness of the above, the duly authorized representatives of the Parties have signed this Agreement on the 26th day of August, 2006.
Dated the 26th August, 2006. |