Rwot David Acana II was invested in the newly-created position of Acholi Paramount Chief in January 2005 in Gulu. In this position, he heads Ker Kwaro Acholi, a focal point of conflict resolution at the family, clan, interclan, inter-ethnic levels and responsible for traditional conflict management mechanisms. Mr Acana, with other civil society leaders, has condemned the military approach in northern Uganda and urged donors to continue their support for a negotiated solution.

Father Carlos Rodriguez is secretary of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Archdiocese of Gulu. He has worked with Kitgum Peace & Justice Committee and Acholi Religious Leaders’ Peace Initiative on peacebuilding and human rights education and advocacy.

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Accord Issue 11: Northern Uganda

Joyce Neu is the first director of the newly-established Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice in San Diego, California. Dr Neu previously worked with The Carter Center in Atlanta, where she helped facilitate discussions between parties in conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Congo-Brazzaville, Ethiopia, Mali, Sudan and Uganda.

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Accord Issue 11: Northern Uganda

Rosalba Oywa is a pioneer of community-based conflict resolution in the Acholi region of northern Uganda. In 1989 she mobilised women in Gulu to participate in a public demonstration demanding an end to the war. In 1995 she formed a women’s peace group, People’s Voice for Peace, which supports community reintegration of formerly abducted children and advocates for the inclusion of grass-roots perspectives and women in peace processes.

Dr Otunnu is Assistant Professor of African History, Refugee Studies and Contemporary Global Issues at DePaul University (Chicago). He has also taught African History and Refugee Studies at York University (Toronto). Dr Otunnu has published on refugee crises, conflict resolution and genocide in Africa. Research for this work was partly done by Jane Laloyo.

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Accord Issue 11: Northern Uganda

Dr. Patrick Oguru Otto is the Coordinator of the London-based Kacoke Madit (KM) Secretariat. He has worked extensively with KM’s international peace promotion activities since 1996.

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Accord Issue 11: Northern Uganda

Billie O’Kadameri participated in the 1993-94 peace talks as a journalist as well as Media, Political and Risk Analyst to Minister Betty Bigombe. He now works for the English Service of Radio France Internationale, Paris.

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Accord Issue 11: Northern Uganda

Prof. B. Nyeko is Associate Professor of History at the University of Swaziland, Southern Africa having previously taught at the National University of Lesotho, the University of Zambia, and Makerere University in Uganda.

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Accord Issue 11: Northern Uganda

Okello Lucima is an independent researcher and Kacoke Madit Regional coordinator for Canada. His research interests are in global environmental politics, sustainable rural livelihoods, human rights and politics & government in Uganda.

Caroline Lamwaka is a freelance journalist and peace researcher. She has covered the civil war and peace process in northern Uganda from 1987 to the present. Since 1999 she has been the chairperson of Gulu Hope for Peace. She is presently a Fellow at the Human Rights Center, the University of California at Berkeley.

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Accord Issue 11: Northern Uganda