” “The first week of peace talks between the Ugandan government and the Lord Resistance Army (Lra) ended yesterday with successful results. The meetings were attended by an international team composed of Hizkias Assefa, on behalf of the African Peace Building and Reconciliation Resources, Comunità Sant’Egidio, Pax Cristi and some diplomats, who, at the end of the first session, stated they were content of the friendliness and serenity of these talks. In the first session of negotiations, says Comunità Sant’Egidio, the delegations focussed on the "cessation of hostilities and reconciliation, given the predicamen which the populations of north-eastern Uganda are in". The negotiations will be resumed on July 31st with three items on the agenda: "cessation of hostilities and disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration". The North Ugandan war has been going on for about 20 years and has caused hundreds of thousands of victims. It has been estimated that 25 thousand children, boys and girls have been kidnapped by the Lra, and most of them have been forced to become soldiers. Nearly two million people are in refugee camps.” “
