13/02/2004

Museveni Snubs UN Hand in Kony War

President Museveni does not favour United Nations' intervention in the conflict in northern Uganda.

This reportedly came out of a meeting, Museveni had with three Italian senators from the Human Rights Commission.

He met the senators on Tuesday at State Lodge, Nakasero.

"The president does not favour United Nations as a third party but favours the community of Sant' Egidio [Italian religious Organization] [to play] a third party role," Mr Enrico Pianeta the president of the commission told journalists yesterday.

Enrico led a three-man delegation of senators composed of Mr Antonio Iovene and Mr Alessando Forlani.

"The president has given his reasons for his lack of trust in the UN by giving examples in this region in which they (UN) have been unsuccessful," Enrico added.

The Missionary News Agency-MISNA quoted the President as saying; "Uganda does not need a multinational force: when we asked for help from the UN it did not arrive and now it is too late".

The Special Presidential Assistant on the media Mr Onapito Ekomoloit also confirmed the president's stand. "The president was very clear, he said the situation does not demand the UN's intervention because we are dealing with terrorists," Onapito aid by telephone yesterday.

Enrico said that though Museveni prefers a military solution to the northern conflict, he is willing to let a third party to intervene.

The community of Sant' Egidio is an Italian catholic organization that has brokered peace between Frelimo, and the anti-communist Renamo in the Mozambican civil war in the 1990s.

The LRA has fought the Ugandan government since 1988. Scores have died and over a million have been forced in protective camps.

Frank Nyakairu