27/07/2006

Catholic Groups Playing Pivotal Role in Search for Peace in Uganda

By The Universe: The Ugandan government and the rebel Lord's Resistance Army have completed the first week of talks aimed at ending a two-decade-long insurgency that has claimed tens of thousands of victims.

Neighbouring southern Sudan hosted the talks in Juba. Mediators include the vice president of the government of South Sudan, Riak Machar Teny, as well as delegates from the Rome-based Community of Sant'Egidio and the Pax Christi Movement.

The Sant'Egidio Community revealed that the round of peace talks, which ended Monday, focused on the "cessation of hostilities, comprehensive solutions, reconciliation in accountability" and the grave situation of the population of northeastern Uganda.

"At present almost 2 million homeless people have been moved to refugee camps, causing a very serious situation from the humanitarian point of view," said a Sant'Egidio communiqu�.

"Peace would enable them to return to their villages."

Talks are now scheduled to resume on July 31.