Ugandan peace process $talls as rebels demand $2 m to negotiate

Talks to find a lasting solution in northern Uganda's 20-year conflict between the Ugandan government and the Lord's Resistance Army rebels are said have stalled. Though many reasons are being given for this development, a few days ago talks were moved to an unspecified date after the government and donors could not meet the rebels demand for US$2 million to ferry delegates, carry out consultations and do research in preparation for the talks that were due to resume last week. The rebels have blamed the UN mission for the postponement of the peace talks. They say that although they are not in the talks with the Ugandan Government for the money, the UN accounting office had not paid their allowances and consultation fees for one month. Meanwhile the government says the rebels' demands for this money for consultation are excessive. Since then fingers have been pointing in different directions as accusations of who is responsible for stalling the talks become a contested issue. If successful, these talks could bring an end to one of the longest wars in Uganda. The LRA rebellion has driven more than 1.7 million people into internal refugee camps in northern Uganda. Some 100,000 people have died and as many as 38,000 children have been abducted and forced to join the insurgents.
..........President Yoweri Museveni referred the civil war in the north to the International Criminal Court in December 2003. The ICC's chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo issued arrest warrants in July 2005 for the top five men in the LRA - its leader Joseph Kony and Vincent Otti, Raska Lukwiya-who died in combat last year, Okot Odhiambo and Dominic Ongwen. The ICC indicted the LRA leaders on 33 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including abduction, sexual enslavement, mutilation, the killing of civilians and forcibly using children as guerrilla fighters.
..............It always baffles my mind why people who claim to be championing the cause for the people are often unwilling to stop the flow of blood rivers while they wait to get what they want out of peace processes. Equally sad is the fact Is it not sad that the rebels even have to rely on the government and donors for consultation fees? Such is the case with opposition parties too, who have to rely on either governments or outsiders for their political livelihoods. Should the UN and Ugandan government pay the consultation fees? What do you think?