The price of peace

8.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 29th Aug 2006

Ugandan flag

In a bid to end the civil war and secure peace the Ugandan Government has offered a full amnesty to senior Lord's Resistance Army commanders. A truce was signed on Saturday where the LRA will stop the war in return from an amnesty for the LRA leader Joseph Kony and other top commanders despite warrants having been issued by the International Criminal Court.

I can see logic behind this move but is it too high a price to be paid for peace? My gut feeling is Kony and the others should stand trail for their crimes, but my head tells me if that is insisted upon a ceasefire will never be agreed and the death toll will increase, more people will be displaced, women raped and more children will be forced to fight.