For a couple of decades, Uganda has been viewed as a model of development in Africa. The only glaring blemish on Uganda’s cheek has been its failure and perceived unwillingness to resolve the conflict in Northern Uganda. But if Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni expects his ongoing attack on the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) to achieve the results of destroying

the rebel group, capturing its elusive leader, and clearing that blemish, he is overly optimistic. In effect, by pursuing a publicity stunt, he may have squandered an opportunity to nurture peace in the region. Thanks to his December attack, the relative reprieve that had been established for two and a half years has unravelled.

It’s not just that violence breeds violence; after 20 years of dealing with Joseph Kony’s LRA and its terrorising of Northern Uganda, Museveni should have known better. The war caused the displacement of approximately 2 million; the LRA murdered tens of thousands; and it abducted and absorbed approximately 30,000 children into its ranks.

Attacks diminished over the past two and a half years and were mostly confined to neighbouring countries — the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, and south Sudan. But if any question lingered about the LRA’s enduring capacity to horrify, the past few weeks have reminded us.

The LRA has been committing atrocities in north-eastern Congo, killing as many as 900 people, abducting some 200, displacing around 130,000 and generating fears of their return to Northern Uganda.

These atrocities come as a result of the offensive not only from Uganda, but also from south Sudan and Congo. On Dec.14, the on-again, off-again negotiations with the rebel group — a source of frustration for the displaced persons in the region, for the Ugandan government, and for the international players — came to a head. The three countries united forces in an unprecedented joint ambush on the rebels at their base in Congo. Justified as the offensive may seem, the timing was also politically suspect.

Sadly, the ambush was inadequately executed and poorly planned. And it’s for this reason that the LRA seems to have gotten away fairly unscathed. Rather than ending anything, its most immediate impact has been to trigger a new wave of LRA atrocities in the

Congo. For the Ugandan government to prove its commitment to peace efforts in the region and maintain its good stead in the international community, it must focus on the welfare of its people and attempt to halt the conflict. The joint forces should stop their offensive, keeping troops on the ground to receive any escapees.

With the continued coordination of Uganda’s neighbours, peace negotiations should resume. The Ugandan government must renew the Peace, Recovery, and Development Plan with uncompromising dedication in order to assist the people of Northern Uganda in their recovery.

The international community can affirm this effort by supporting peace negotiations, critically

evaluating the most effective way to punish LRA leaders, and pressuring Uganda to uphold its responsibility to its citizens in the North. The victims of the LRA don’t need a publicity stunt; they need a concerted attempt to resolve the conflict. — The Christian Science Monitor