UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed hope that the first visit to Kampala, Uganda's capital, by delegates from the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) will create the momentum needed to settle the brutal conflict between the government and the notorious rebel group.
``He commends the government of Uganda and the LRA leadership for their continued commitment to the peace process,'' UN spokeswoman Michele Montas said Friday.
Ban also called on international and regional actors who have been assisting the peace process ``to continue their crucial support until an acceptable solution is found for this long-lasting conflict.''
The LRA is made up of the remnants of a rebellion that began after Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni took power in 1986.
The rebels are notorious for cutting off the tongues and lips of civilians and abducting thousands of children, turning the girls into sex slaves and the boys into fighters.
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for the top five leaders of the rebel group for war crimes, but Museveni's government has promised not to turn them over if they sign a peace deal.
None of those named in the international warrant came to Kampala on Thursday.
The wanted leaders were believed to be hiding out in a forest in eastern Congo.
When Shanghai-based designer Guo Qingshan posted a vacation photo on Valentine’s Day and captioned it “Puppy Mountain,” it became a sensation in China and even created a tourist destination. Guo had gone on a hike while visiting his hometown of Yichang in central China’s Hubei Province late last month. When reviewing the photographs, he saw something he had not noticed before: A mountain shaped like a dog’s head rested on the ground next to the Yangtze River, its snout perched at the water’s edge. “It was so magical and cute. I was so excited and happy when I discovered it,” Guo said.
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