UN humanitarian chief meets with Ugandan President

(New York: 14 November 2006): United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Jan Egeland, met last night with President Yoweri Museveni and other senior Government officials in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, to discuss several issues, including the Cessation of Hostilities between the Government and the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and his meeting with the senior LRA leadership at the Ri-Kwangba assembly point in eastern southern Sudan the previous day.

Mr. Egeland informed President Museveni about his discussions with LRA commander Joseph Kony. While agreeing with the President that the peace talks could not continue indefinitely, Mr. Egeland emphasized the need to maintain the Cessation of Hostilities, noting that there had never been a quieter period in northern Uganda. Of particular importance was the need to improve conditions in the assembly areas by ensuring basic services and a sense of security for the LRA as they gathered there.

Earlier today, Mr. Egeland met with members of the humanitarian community in Uganda, including national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the head of the major NGO consortium, the International Council on Voluntary Action (ICVA), as well as with donor representatives. During these meetings, Mr. Egeland noted that tremendous improvement has been made in terms of humanitarian action in northern Uganda and that the humanitarians' presence had improved, although the response remained inadequate.

Expressing his optimism about the peace talks, Mr. Egeland again underscored the need to support them as the best chance for peace, although the Cessation of Hostilities remains very fragile. Restating his concern about the state of the assembly area at Ri-Kwangba, Mr. Egeland stressed the need to improve conditions as part of four key ways to support the peace process. The non-governmental organization Caritas has assumed responsibility for the provision of aid at the two LRA assembly points of Ri-Kwangba and Owiny-ki-Bul.

Other priorities are to further strengthen the United Nations support for the peace talks, including by providing United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) helicopters to the team monitoring the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, ensuring full transfer of funds pledged by donors to the Juba Initiative Project, and providing assistance to the civilian population of southern Sudan, and particularly to the host communities around the two designated LRA assembly points.

Shortly before departing for the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, where he will continue this final mission as Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mr. Egeland briefed the press on his meeting in Uganda.

For further information, please call: Stephanie Bunker, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 5126, mobile +1 917 892 1679; Kristen Knutson, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 9262; Elisabeth Byrs, OCHA-Geneva, +41 22 917 2653, mobile, +41 79 473 4570. OCHA press releases are available at http://ochaonline.un.org or www.reliefweb.int.