§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What help is being given to Uganda to prevent armed incursions and the abduction of children from the northern region by the so-called Lord's Resistance Army; and whether they have any evidence that this organisation is assisted by the Government of Sudan. [HL3660]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanWe are appalled at the reports of atrocities committed by the Lord's Resistance Army in Northern Uganda. With our partners at the UN we have strongly condemned their tactics. We believe there cannot be a purely military solution to the problems of Northern Uganda. We continue to urge the Ugandan Government and all other parties involved in the conflict to pursue all opportunities for a peaceful settlement, and are encouraging conflict resolution activities. This message was reinforced most recently by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for International Development when she visited Uganda in May. She also reaffirmed that Britain would substantially increase its development assistance to the region if sustainable peace were achieved. We welcome President Museveni's offer of an amnesty to the LRA. An amnesty will be a key element to an eventual resolution of the conflict. There are persistent reports that the LRA receives assistance from the Government of Sudan. We will continue to raise this issue with the Sudanese authorities.