2 of 2

"We were given as wives to the rebel commanders," said Akallo. "Children trying to escape were brutally murdered in front of me." At 14, Akallo was kidnapped along with 139 of her classmates from St. Mary's College in Aboke. A school nun negotiated the release of many of the girls, but soldiers kept Akallo and 29 others. "I am speaking on behalf of my friends and all of the children being mutilated now, as I speak," said Akallo.

"This war continues because the world ignores our plight. But this war can stop," said Akallo, whose speech moved the audience to a standing ovation. "The United States needs to support the ongoing Juba peace talks. … If these talks fail, the U.S. and the international community are condemning my friends and others to a life of captivity and death."

Akallo and several participants pressed Reddick during the question-and-answer time on the U.S. government's seeming reluctance to endorse the peace talks and questioned why the government was spending tens of millions of dollars training and supporting Ugandan soldiers rather than putting more resources toward monitoring the peace talks and enforcing the cease-fire agreement.

Reddick said the government was "doing what we can to respond to the situation on the ground," while allowing the warring parties and neighboring countries to work through the specifics of a peace plan.

Reddick said the U.S. government is walking a fine line, trying to defuse the conflict without backing a specific plan or effort that may not be palatable to both parties, especially if perceived as a Western-driven process.

The NGOs' campaign received a boost during Northern Uganda Lobby Day, the second day of the event, when participants converged on Capitol Hill to lobby for congressional action.

"To buttress the peace negotiations, I urge the U.S. State Department and the United Nations to pressure both parties to maintain the current ceasefire and make peace a permanent reality," said Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.).

World Vision, the International Rescue Committee, and the Africa Faith and Justice Network were the events' principal sponsors. Other sponsors included Uganda-CAN, GuluWalk, Invisible Children, and The Name Campaign.

World Vision has created a "Children of War Mobilizer's Toolkit" that includes an advocacy guide, an 11-minute documentary, a policy report, and other tools. It is available by request at nochildsoldiers@worldvision.org. The group is also asking supporters to sign its declaration at worldvision.org/nochildsoldiers. The declaration urges the U.S. government, the United Nations and the international community "to work diligently to bring peace and protection to the children of northern Uganda."

Anderson emphasized that while grassroots mobilization is important, so, too, is prayer. "This is a spiritual war, and we cannot forget that the power of God is very real. The power of prayer enables people to reconcile and forgive," said Anderson. "This is what releases the power of deliverance."

Sheryl Henderson Blunt is a senior writer for CT.

Copyright © 2006 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Christianity Today's past articles on this subject include a January 2006 cover story on the Lord's Resistance Army and a September 27 news story about the peace process. See our full coverage areas on Uganda and the LRA.

first page |  2 of 2

share this page

October (Web-only) 2006, Vol. 50