In northern Uganda by the end of last June to September, it is estimated that 916,000 people remained in camps, mainly in Acholi sub region, while 539,000 had returned home. Some 381,000 people had moved to new transit sites\ settlements near their villages according to UNHCR. Significant dividends of the cessation of hostilities agreement and the pace process include:
- Improved security that has created enabling environment for some IDPs to return home
- Unlimited humanitarian access
- Reduced attacks against civilians both in Uganda and Southern Sudan
In May the negotiations between the Ugandan government and the LRA continued.
Project Preparation
The preparations for the arrival of the two-person team that began its work on 20th June continued during May.
Report written by Christine Schweitzer (Programme Director)
The cease-fire between Uganda and the LRA seemed to have broken down, fuelling fears that the war may restart. However, international mediation efforts in March by the UN (led by the Uganda envoy of the UN, former Mozambique President Joaquim Chissano) and the international NGO Pax Christi have been giving reasons to hope that this was rather a temporary set-up than a permanent collapse. New (informal) talks between the government and the LRA took place at the very end of March in Mombasa, reaching according to a report by Pax Christi “significant agreements” on extending the truce.
Uganda is the project most recently approved by the IGC (see the Department report from November about their decision).
Like with the other projects, the first task is to find the funds to begin it – the IGC made the start of the exploratory “phase 1” dependent on restricted funds being found for it. By end of December, a list of potential donors has been updated.
The proposal is still under consideration by the Programme Committee that hopes to make a recommendation to the IGC when discussing the proposal further at its upcoming meeting middle of November. Politically, the cease-fire between the government and the Lord Resistance Army is still holding, and according to UNHCR more than 300,000 people have left the IDP camps to return home.
Report written by Christine Schweitzer (Programme Director)
The proposal is still under consideration by the Programme Committee which failed to have a full meeting in September due to lack of quorum. It is now hoped to make a decision in October. Politically, the situation in Uganda is characterised by a Cessation of Hostilities Agreement between the Ugandan government and the LRA, concluded on 26 August.
