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| "Uganda
is one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises." - Jan Egeland, Latest A Call for Peace in Northern Uganda With generous support of the MacArthur Foundation, The Coalition for Peace and Justice in Northern Uganda* is pleased to announce an international delegation of civil society members to meet with members of the international community between 25 January – 7 February 2004 in New York, Washington, Ottawa, London and Brussels
Sam
Tindifa, Lloyd Axworthy, Erin Baines, His Grace John Baptist Odama, Annex II. Update on the Conflict in Northern Uganda List
of Actions, 2002-2004 by the Responding to the Crisis in Northern Uganda - Liu Institute Update Mr.
Martin Komakech, a human rights monitor with Human Presentation to UN Representative on IDP's, by Civil Society Organizations in Gulu Presentation to Netherlands Minister of Development, by Civil Society Organizations in Gulu "In
Uganda, over the past year, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) Purpose The purpose of the program is to respond to the humanitarian/human rights crisis and mobilize action towards peace in Northern Uganda. Letter from Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien - August 2003 Introduction The Liu Institute for Global Issues, the Makerere University Human Rights and Peace Centre (HURIPEC), Human Rights Focus (HURIFO) and Human Rights Watch (HRW), are working to coordinate and consolidate an immediate civil society response to northern Uganda, which has been wracked by violence in recent years, with civilians bearing the brunt of the attacks. The main partners in this project, along with other Ugandan non-governmental organizations active in the North, will conduct research on the nature of the conflict, reconciliation possibilities, situation in the IDP camps, child abductions, demobilization of rebels and resettlement and integration.
In addition, the research will be used to engage in advocacy with Ugandan and international authorities, publicize abuses to the international community, and strengthen the ability of local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on the ground to monitor and decry abuses against civilians. In order to carry out this work HURIPEC received a generous grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. History of the Conflict Since 1989, the Ugandan army, the Uganda People's Defense Force (UPDF), has been embroiled in a conflict with the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a rebel force known for its countless atrocities in the region. The conflict continues to have a devastating impact on civilians, particularly children. Citizens have endured, in addition to the fighting, indefinite detention, torture, rape, and forced displacement caused by both warring parties. Further, both sides continue to make use of child soldiers. In March 2002, with the permission of the Sudan government, the UPDF launched a major offensive against the LRA in southern Sudan called "Operation Iron Fist." The initial plan to eliminate the LRA failed. The rebel group fled to mountains in southern Sudan and then crossed back into Uganda. These military operations had a horrendous impact on the civilian population in northern Uganda and southern Sudan.
From May 2002, the LRA increased its attacks in northern Uganda, abducting and killing civilians, looting villages and attacking camps for internally displaced persons and Sudanese refugees. In response to these increased LRA attacks in northern Uganda, the Ugandan army intensified its practice of engaging in arbitrary long-term detention of civilians suspected of collaborating with the LRA. The UPDF also tortured some detainees, in violation of Uganda's ratification of the UN Convention Against Torture, and allegedly raped women civilians. The Ugandan government ordered tens of thousands of people to leave their villages and gather in towns and displacement camps. Over half a million people have been living in camps for the internally displaced under poor conditions since 1996, when the army forcibly evacuated residents for security reasons. They continue to be subject to abuse by Ugandan government soldiers, and they have not been protected from LRA attacks. The humanitarian situation in northern Uganda is dire, with large parts of the region inaccessible to humanitarian aid workers due to insecurity. In August 2002, the government offered peace terms to the LRA. These were rejected by the rebels, who also set out conditions, which were rejected by the government. The Government's position on a negotiated settlement is ambivalent. Uganda loses $100 million U.S. every year on the war and the conflict has cost the country an estimated $1.3 billion U.S. in the last 16 years. This kind of loss can no longer be tolerated. Government, the rebels and those who support either side must be pressurized to end the war through a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
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