Uganda Consultation, December 2007
Purpose
Peace talks to bring an end to the twenty year civil war in the north of
Uganda have been on-going between the Government of Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) since mid-2006. At the urging of
Ugandan Women Waging Peace network members, the Initiative for Inclusive Security convened a consultation in Nairobi, Kenya, from December 9-12, 2007, to increase women’s representation and effectiveness in the peace negotiations. By the end of the training, the two women on the negotiating delegations declared their intent to sit with one another (rather than their LRA and Government delegations) when the negotiations resume.
Consultation
The Initiative organized a training workshop for women directly involved in the peace talks from the Government of Uganda and LRA negotiating teams, official observer team of parliament members, and civil society observers. They were joined by Jebbeh Forster, gender advisor to Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General Joaquin Chissano. The goal of the consultation was to increase the women’s ability to advocate for a gender-sensitive peace agreement. Priorities included:
- Supporting coalition building efforts among women participants
- Providing technical expertise and skills training
- Aiding in the establishment of a women’s agenda for peace
- Assisting in the development of a “feedback” loop that includes grassroots women in the process
Recommendations
The consultation resulted in:
- specific strategies for collaborating to engender the negotiations by adding women expert observers and increasing the number of women on the LRA and Government teams;
- plans for connecting those at the negotiations back to the public in conflict-affected regions;
- priorities and next steps for cooperation with Inclusive Security; and
- a detailed plan for advocating to Special Envoy Chissano
Next Steps
The December consultation was the first of a series of planned trainings. Additional workshops will correspond to the agenda of the peace talks – for example, the second training program would focus on reconciliation and accountability, which the parties are currently negotiating.