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UN Security Council Passes Statement Welcoming Juba Talks |
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On Thursday, the 15 members of the UN Security
Council passed
a statement that says the the Council "welcomes
efforts aimed at bringing an end to the long-running
conflict in northern Uganda, and is following
closely the Juba talks process." Though not a
definitive statement of support, this shows that the
Security Council realizes the stakes and
opportunities of these peace talks. The Security
Council urges the peace process to be "completed
expeditiously."
The statement
also demands that the LRA release all women and
children it has abducted. This comes after UN
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan
Egeland met
with LRA leader Joseph Kony last week, making
the same demand. Kony at the time said there were no
captives in the LRA camp, only captives. He has
since said, however, that the LRA will report on the
numbers of women and children.
This is an important step, showing the high level of
attention that the UN Security Council will finally
give to the Juba peace talks. However, we must
continue to press that actions follow words, and
that the UN system seriously looks for ways to
support and give confidence to the peace process.
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