AU to lead peace keeping forces to battle LRA rebells in Uganda

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - African Defence Ministers have agreed to the deployment of an African Union peacekeeping mission to boost military efforts aimed at putting an end to the atrocities being committed by the Ugandan rebel group, the Lords Resistance Army (LRA). The ministers, who met under the emblem of the “Ministers of Defence and Security of countries affected by the LRA atrocities, agreed to designate a peacekeeping mission that would help in the fight against the LRA as a African Union mission'. AU Commissioner for Peace and Security Ramtane Lamamra chaired the meeting, also attended by the Ugandan Defence Minister, Crispus Kiyonga, Central African Republic’s Deputy Minister of National Defence, Jean‐Francis Bozizé and the Minister of National Defence of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Charles Mwando Nsimba.

Southern Sudan’s Interior Minister, Lt.-General Gier Chuang Aluong, and representatives of the Sudanese and the Chadian governments also attended the meeting.

Earlier, Defence Chiefs of Staff of the affected countries, held a meeting to discuss the inner working details of the mission to be deployed to help fight the atrocities.

They were informed of the outcome of the meeting during a session at which representatives of the United Nations and the European Union, as well as bilateral partners, such as the US, reiterated their support, in principle, for the strengthening of the regional cooperation for the elimination of the LRA.

The Ministers considered the report of the Defence Chiefs of Staff on the modalities for the establishment of a Regional Task Force (RTF). This will deal with the process of authorizing the peacekeeping mission, its strategic objectives and the establishment of a Joint Coordination Mechanism (JCM).

They also discussed the distribution of key positions within the Headquarter of regional task force, support for the Mission and the timetable for implementation, according to a statement issued after the Addis Ababa meeting.

The ministers agreed that each delegation should submit the results of the meeting to its Head of State and Head of Government for adoption, while the AU Commission should submit the same document to the 17th session of the Heads of State and Government assembly to be held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, later this month.

The peacekeeping mission is the security element of an overall strategy formulated by the States affected by the atrocities of the LRA, along with the AU, the UN and other partners.

“It should be a 'Mission authorized by the AU' with the support of the international community.
The meeting decided to set up a JCM which is an Adhoc structure, at the strategic level and must coordinate the efforts of the AU, the countries concerned as well as the support of partners.”

Defence Ministers of the countries concerned will sit in the JCM which would be chaired by the Commissioner for Peace and Security of the AU.

The African Union will work to mobilize voluntary contributions to fund the JCM, the force headquarters and the Joint Operations Centre (JOC).

The AU should also mobilize financial resources, logistics and any other forms of support needed for the benefit of other components of the RTF, including the operational units of each sector headquarters.

The affected countries will contribute troops for the operation.

Meanwhile, the ministers have launched an urgent appeal to the international community to support the mission. They also thanked countries and organisations that have offered support for peace efforts on the African continent.