The new Uganda
Conflict Action Network was founded to raise awareness about this forgotten
war of Africa and mobilize citizens to work in support of peaceful resolution
and reconciliation in northern Uganda. Uganda-CAN is working in collaboration
with a number of Ugandan organizations and faith leaders on the ground, along
with in partnership with numerous policy, activist and faith-based organizations
in the United States. Together, we will use our financial,
democratic and human resources to work for the dignity and life of Ugandans
affected by this war.
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2. Army probes field chiefs
By
Chris Ochowun
Published
on: Friday, 15th July, 2005
THE army is investigating field commanders in Kitgum district following the
repeated LRA road ambushes, the northern army spokesman, Capt. Paddy Ankunda, has said.
"We are investigating the circumstances under which several road ambushes
by LRA rebels have prevailed in Kitgum district and not any other part. We
shall take court action against some of our commanders who do not execute
their duties," he said. "The military court martial is ready to take
action on whoever is found to have failed to execute his duties, which led
to the numerous road ambushes," Ankunda told
journalists in his office in Gulu on Tuesday.
He said the recent LRA ambushes on civilian vehicles in Kitgum district had
raised concerns among the army leaders. The rebels have of late resumed road
ambushes and attacks on civilian vehicles and set ablaze a number of them.
The most recent LRA ambush was on Sunday at Potika
in Lamwo county, Kitgum
district, in which about 17 civilians were killed and their vehicle burnt.
This brought to four, the number of civilian vehicles
ambushed and set ablaze by the rebels in Kitgum district in one week. "We
cannot accept this at a time when we are seeing the tail of the LRA rebellion.
Somebody owes us an explanation and we shall take appropriate action although
we also know that these are desperate attacks by the LRA to gain publicity,"
Ankunda said.
He said the attacks make the peace talk initiative unbalance.
The LRA-Government
peace negotiator, Betty Bigombe, pitched camp in
the north to negotiate a peace deal between the LRA and the government to
ensure that the northern rebellion ends peacefully. Ankunda
appealed to travellers to move after mobile road patrolling troops have been
deployed.
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3. Acholi oppose LRA trial
News
| July 18, 2005
TABU
BUTAGIRA
ARUA
THE Acholi are
against the prosecution of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebel commanders
by the Hague-based International Criminal Court, the Refugee Law Project (RLP)
has reported.
In its latest
working paper tittled, "Peace First, Justice Later:
Traditional Justice in northern Uganda," RLP says litigation against the insurgents
would undermine the ongoing peace efforts between the rebels and the government
and hamper reconciliation.
The paper is a collection of views from respondents interviewed by RLP in
various parts of Gulu, Kitgum and Pader districts - the epicentre of Joseph
Kony's LRA brutal attacks.
According independent
estimates, the nearly two-decade old northern insurgency has left thousands
of people dead and over 1.6 million displaced with little means of survival.
"This unspeakable
suffering has fostered a feeling of marginalisation and a general mistrust
of the government by the people in the north," the paper which was downloaded
on www.refugeelawproject.org website, reads in part.
It will be launched
by RLP Director, Mr Zachary Lomo, on Thursday.
Dr Paul Omach, a senior political science lecturer
at Makerere University, will discuss the paper in a presentation to be moderated
by Mr Stefan Friedrichsen, the project adviser of
Civil Peace Programme at Makerere University.
The research
findings indicate that Kony's kinsmen fear that
prosecution of the rebels could be a recipe for disaster through retaliatory
attacks on civilians by the bandits, especially when there is "obvious lack
of commitment by the government and the rebels."
"Peace must
be realised before justice can be tackled," says the paper, which blames
the long running insurgency on uneven colonial policies.
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4. Norway
cuts aid
By
Hamis Kaheru
Wednesday,
20th July, 2005 New Vision
THE Norwegian
government has reduced budget support to Uganda by sh7b, citing concerns about the political
transition and other governance issues. "The budget support for financial
year 2005/2006 is reduced from NOK 75m (sh20b) to NOK 50m (sh13b), Norwegian
envoy Tore Gjos said yesterday.
He said total Norwegian support to Uganda this year was about sh74b, a reduction
of less than 10%. "The decision was sent to the minister of Finance
on July 11," Gjos said in an e-mail to The
New Vision. "This will hopefully not affect future cooperation with
Uganda," he added.
Britain said in March it
would cut aid by about sh16.5b and Ireland by sh6.5b. On whether Norway had harmonised its position with other
donors, Gjos said, "We cooperate with like-minded
donors." "The government is mishandling the democratic process,
it is mishandling the political transition and the opening of political space,"
AFP quoted Gjos (above) as saying.
Gjos reportedly said Oslo feared Museveni's government was strangling
the opposition, meddling with the transition to political pluralism and failing
to control government graft and human rights abuses. President Museveni
was angered by the move, accusing donors of interfering in Uganda's affairs and hindering
its development. Information state minister Dr. Nsaba
Buturo said Norway
should respect decisions of Ugandans.
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5. UPDF hit by 846 cases
Sunday Vision. 17th/07/05
By Chris
Ochowun
THE UPDF 4th
Division commander, Col. Nathan Mugisha, has said
that 846 cases of crimes committed by UPDF soldiers between 2004 and July
this year have been reported to the 4th Division Court Martial since 2004.
Mugisha, whose jurisdiction covers Gulu and Apac districts as well as the West Nile
region, said some of the suspects had been prosecuted and convictions handed
down.
Speaking from Gulu barracks on Friday, he said that in 2004, out of the 575
criminal cases reported against the UPDF at the barracks, 271 people were
prosecuted, 184 culprits convicted and 87 others acquitted.
"The military courts have consistently tried both UPDF officers and men
who commit offences of various types in all UPDF units under our area of responsibility.
Whoever doubts this can visit Gulu Prison to see how many soldiers are serving
sentences there. Others on trial are also in detention at our military quarter
guard," Mugisha said.
He said that between January and mid-July 2005, 295 criminal cases had been
reported. Of these, 138 have been prosecuted, 118 victims convicted and 20
culprits acquitted by the division court martial.
Mugisha said that UPDF is committed to disciplining
its own and shall continue working with all the stakeholders to identify and
bring the culprits to book.
"What we request is honesty and goodwill in the manner in which we report
and handle such culprits so as not to incite the people against their very
protectors, the UPDF. Teamwork and co-ordination is the way forward if we
are to secure and sustain peace and stability," he said. He added that
some of the allegations being made by some NGOs that the UPDF is violating
human rights are being investigated by Special Investigation Branch.
and if found guilty, culprits will be punished.
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6. News in Brief
(a) Water-borne diseases
hit northern Uganda
New Vision. Friday, 15th July, 2005
KAMPALA, Thursday - A lack of water in war-ravaged northern
Uganda has caused an increase in water-borne diseases,
the medical charity, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)-Holland,
said on Monday. Internally displaced persons (IDPs)
in camps in Lira district are living on less than three litres of water per
person per day, MSF said in a statement. "The internationally acceptable
standards are 15 litres per person per day," Peter Muller, head of mission
for MSF Kampala, told IRIN while on a visit in Kitgum.
MSF said data showed that diarrhoea, at 12% of cases, was the second most
common ailment after malaria, while 6% of patients had worms. Despite the
recent rise in Lira's IDP population from 120,000 to 170,000 after people
moved from camps near the main town of Lira
to rural camps closer to their villages, district authorities have made no
major improvements to water supply.
(b) Pader
complains of rotten food from WFP
By
Chris Ochowun New
Vision.
Thursday,
21st July, 2005
PADER district has said the World Food Programme (WFP) was distributing expired
and rotten food to the displaced people in camps. The LC5 chairman, Edwin
Komakech, said he had some bags of rotten foods
in his office which he got being distributed to IDPs
at Rackoko camp.
"We leaders of Pader district condemn this act and it must be put right,"
Komakech said yesterday.
He said WFP officials apologised to them in a meeting held following the rotten
food' report.
The head of the WFP in the north, Pedro Amolat,
said the 31 bags of maize were destroyed by rain enroute
from Kampala to Pader district.
He said not all the food being distributed was rotten.Amolat said they would replace bags of posho
which was destroyed by rain with good food during new distribution process.
(c) LRA remnants mere criminals, says UPDF
By James Odongo
Tuesday, 19th July, 2005 New Vision
The
Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) has termed the remnants of Kony's LRA rebels in the north as criminal terrorists.
Presenting a report on UPDF operations and the security situation in the north,
army spokesman Lt. Col Shaban Bantariza
said the rebels had a command structure of brigades with about 8,000 fighters
in 2002 before the inception of operation Iron Fist', of whom only about
300 fighters are left.
(d) LRA abduct
five in Nebbi
TABU
BUTAGIRA
NEBBI 19/07/05. Monitor
Lord's Resistance
Army (LRA) rebels on Friday evening raided Palongo
village and abducted five civilians.
Palongo is about 3kms to Sir Albert Cook bridge
on River Nile, which is the main gateway to West Nile
region through Nebbi district. Passenger buses
from Arua and Nebbi districts
en-route to Kampala, were on Saturday delayed at Pakwach
bridge from 8am to 10am because the security personnel had not cleared the
route.
A week ago, LRA rebels attacked workers of Heritage Oil and Gas Company near
Pakuba on the Paraa route in Murchison Falls Park and robbed them of cash
(e) Child
dies.
20/07/05 New Vision
KITGUM -
One Sudanese
died on Monday and 10 others sustained bullet wounds when their truck, from
Kitgum town to southern Sudan,
was ambushed by LRA rebels. The ambush occurred at Okol
village between Mucwini and Madi-Opei
sub-county at about 11:00am. northern army spokesman
Capt. Paddy Ankunda said the deceased was a child.
Sh2b needed
KAMPALA - Gulu University
requires about sh2.7b to facilitate new developments on its land. Presenting
the ministerial policy statement for the 2005/06 financial year to parliament,
education minister Namirembe Bitamazire
said sh200m would be for acquisition of land and
(f) Brief articles.
Tuesday,
19th July, 2005New Vision
Medic jailed
GULU - A clinical officer has been sentenced
to three months in jail over drug theft. Denis Eyoko,
who was working at Amuru health centre in Kilak
county, was on July 14 sent to Gulu Central Prison
by Grade Two Magistrate Tom Chamthai. Eyoko was arrested in
April with six bags of assorted drugs he was ferrying to Gulu town.
Book gift
LIRA -
The Christian Children's Fund has distributed exercise books worth sh9m in
nine learning centres at Otwal sub-county in Apac district, the programme coordinator, Teddy Apio, has said. Apio was recently
handing over the books at Otwal sub-county.
Police get
GULU - The police have received a patrol vehicle
from police headquarters in Kampala
to check traffic offences and crime in the district, the district police commander
has said. Richard Mvule said on Monday they previously
had only one vehicle.
(f) Civilians
killed in UPDF-warrior crush
KAMPALA, Monday
Tuesday,
19th July, 2005 New Vision
Pian constituency MP Paul Lokeris has
said over 50 people were killed last week as the army battled armed tribal
rustlers accused of stealing goats from a rival clan in Nakapiripirit
district. "Over 50 civilians were killed in crossfire as the army battled
with warriors," he told AFP yesterday after returning from the scene
of battles.
The army, however, denied any civilian casualties, maintaining that it lost
seven soldiers and killed four warriors. The area army spokes-man, Lt. Gabriel
lomongin, said the UPDF lost seven soldiers and
killed four warriors."
Lokeris said, "Very many people were killed
and so many were injured. About 200 huts and 400 granaries were torched and
property looted. About 800 people are homeless now."
Lomongin disputed Lokeris'
version, saying a death toll of 50 civilians was implausible because where
the fighting occurred was very sparsely populated.
He denied that the army had burned down any homes.
(g) IDPs
to get free sanitary pads, mosquito netsEIGHTY percent of girls and women in the internally displaced
peoples' camps (IDP) are to get free sanitary materials, health minister Jim
Muhwezi has said, reports Apollo Mubiru.
New Vision. Friday, 15th July, 2005
EIGHTY percent
of girls and women in the internally displaced peoples' camps (IDP) are to
get free sanitary materials, health minister Jim Muhwezi
has said, reports Apollo Mubiru. He also said over
35,000 pregnant IDP women-attending antenatal clinics would be provided with
insecticide-treated nets, two doses of intermittent presumptive treatment
for malaria, iron and folic acid supplement and deworming
tablets.
In a ministry policy statement presented to parliament, Muhwezi
said children in camps would be immunised against the six killer diseases.
He said 95% of the girls and women of aged 13 to 49 years would receive three
doses of tetanus toxoid immunisation.
Children below the age of five will access home-based care to reduce morbidity
and mortality due to malaria, diarrhoea, pneumonia, eye infections and scabies.
(h). Hollywood
star to help displaced children
By
Ssebidde Kiryowa and Jude Katende
Published on: New Vision. Thursday, 21st July, 2005
Don Cheadle, a renown African-American
actor who starred in the Oscar-nominated film Hotel Rwanda, arrived yesterday
to boost the international effort on the plight of Ugandan children. The
actor is here to promote the film and fundraise for educational programmes
led by the Uganda-Austria Found-ation in the internally
displaced people's camps (IDP) in northern Uganda.
He flew in from London with his wife,
Bridget and two daughters Ayana and Imani. The actor who was yesterday
scheduled to meet President Yoweri Museveni, was brought in by John Prendergast and Patricia
Kabuleeta, a local promoter.
Cheadle's co-star, Sophie Okonedo, a British-born
Nigerian actress, was expected to join him together with an American documentary
film crew. In the film, the 40-year-old actor, director and producer portrays
Paul Rusesabagina, manager of the five-star Hotel
De Milles Collines in Kigali at the time of the
Rwanda
genocide in 1994. He saved up to 12,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
The premiere of the movie in Uganda
is on Friday at 6:45pm at Garden City. Limited tickets will be available at
sh150,000. There will also be an auction and photo
exhibition of the IDP camps.
"I was in the Sudan
last year and trying to get aid from America
from congressmen and different groups and Amnesty International. We went into
the camps in Darfur. The media
was there taking account. We had a documentary film crew wherever we went,"
he said.
(i) North safe for referendum - army
Thursday 21st/07/05. Monitor
AS the referendum
date draws closer, the army has assured politicians and civilians of security
in the north, report Hillary Kiirya and James Odongo
Akia.
UPDF spokesman Lt. Col. Shaban Bantariza
urged politicians to carry on with civic education on the referendum.
He said in some parts, where rebels are suspected to be hiding, politicians
should alert the army to provide security.
Bantariza was responding to politicians who wondered
whether the north was safe for civic education. "The situation has normalised
and 90% of the region is rebel-free. The LRA command structure has been weakened
with most top commanders and advisers were captured and others surrendered,"
Bantariza told a press briefing in Kampala
last week. He said there were about 300 rebels with about 10 commanders and
150 guns in the north.
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7. HUMAN COST
KM e-Newsletter 21st July 2005
| HUMAN COST |
FACTORS |
TOTAL |
| LRA+ |
UPDF++ |
Wk |
Mth.
July |
Cum |
| G |
K |
P |
O |
G |
K |
P |
O |
| Killed |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
157 |
1443 |
| Abducted |
|
|
5 |
*** |
|
|
|
|
|
53 |
87 |
| Injured |
|
10 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
99 |
270 |
| Tortured |
|
|
|
|
|
|
24 |
|
|
|
24 |
| Displaced |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9000 |
| Freed'/Surrender |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
68 |
105 |
1047 |
| Arson (hut/MVeh) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1668 |
10962 |
| Cholera. Killed |
5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 |
5 |
5 |
| - infected |
449 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
449 |
449 |
449 |
Sources: New Vision, Monitor, BBC, IRIN, Rupiny, MEGA FM, Simba FM, The Uganda
Weekly Observer
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