William Bionx Akena, Uganda-CAN news correspondent in Gulu town, reports -

As you take a stroll through the small huts in Pabbo internally-displaced peoples (IDP) camp, you can see and feel the pinch of the faces hit most by the 19-year old war. Women and children, struggling for food daily, face great obstacles. During the harvest season, some women leave their children at home and escape the camps to harvest limited food crops for their families.

Camp life is a constant struggle to barely survive. Most of northern Uganda lives in camps. Pabbo IDP camp, the biggest camp in the north, has a population of 50,000 people.

While many non-governmental organizations have made efforts to address this humanitarian crisis, hunger still persists. It is estimated that close to 70% of the total population at Pabbo are children.

Uganda-CAN spoke with an 8-year old boy named Okello, who stood barefoot in dirty clothing. When asked if he was hungry, Okello started crying. When asked why he was crying, he told us that he never has supper or anything to eat. His story is the norm in northern Uganda.

Children like Okello in northern Uganda continue to die in IDP camps because of poor santitation and hunger. The violence of the war in northern Uganda often has nothing to do with guns; it is the slow dying of a people starved, displaced and marginalized.

ReliefWeb reports that the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has released a report detailing torture and human rights abuses of civilians and soldiers in northern Uganda at the hands of the UPDF, Uganda's military. The report, significant because it is the first from the UHRC, a government body formed seven years ago to investigate human rights abuses, to include harsh criticism of a government agency.

Also, an editorial in today's New Vision comments on recent reports of human rights abuses and corruption in the UPDF. The UPDF has come under intense fire in recent weeks after the release of report by Human Rights Watch accused them of human rights abuses against civilians in northern Uganda. The editorial also touches on testimony published in the Weekly Observer from former Army Commander Maj. Gen. James Kazini about the involvement of Pres. Museveni and other high commanders in corrupt and negligent allocations of resources and pay within the UPDF.

ReliefWeb reports that the Ugandan Human Rights Commission, a body of the Ugandan government, has revealed that "by the end of 2004, out of the 26,000 children abducted by the LRA, 4,000 were still unaccounted for in northern Uganda." Many of the children are able to escape or are rescued by the UPDF. Of the 4,000 still missing, many may be child soldiers within the LRA or been killed by LRA rebels or UPDF forces.

ReliefWeb reports that LRA activity has caused the displacement of 41,000 people in Adjumani district, which lies to the west of Gulu district. A recently released report discovered that increased LRA activity in the past 18 months caused people of western Adjumani, mostly agriculturalists, to flee their homes. Many are living with friends and family, others in IDP camps. Most of the displaced persons have been unable to find employment or obtain access to tillable land.

A breaking news article from Reuters reports that the LRA contingent that has crossed into the Democratic Republic of the Congo, led by LRA second-in-command Vincent Otti, is to be forcibly disarmed by Congolese forces. The Government of Uganda claimed the group numbers only 50, but UN officials who viewed the LRA encampment reported at least 300 rebels armed with heavy machine guns and advanced communication systems. A Congolese military official, General Padiri Bulenda, told Reuters that the rebels would have to be disarmed in order to prevent the thousands of Ugandan soldiers sitting on the nearby border from crossing to attack.

Previous demands that the rebels disarm before any negotiations could ensue were not heeded by Otti and his group. An Amnesty Act in Uganda would have allowed the soldiers to return and not be prosecuted in national courts, but pending arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court likely deterred Otti from surrendering.

As these 300-400 LRA forces are largely children, abducted and forced to fight, Uganda-CAN does not support this military campaign but instead urges the Government of DRC, the Government of Uganda, and the UN to negotiate with the group, even before they disarm.

According to The New Vision, Uganda foreign affairs minister, Sam Kutesa, addressed the 60th session of the UN General Assembly last week. A statement issued by Uganda's Permanent Mission at the UN said Kutesa said that the Lord's Resistance Army rebels fighting in the north "have been defeated and can no longer terrorize, maim and kidnap civilians." Kutesa is quoted to have said, "Peace has returned to northern Uganda." He further asked the international community for help to address the humanitarian crisis situation.

The BBC News reports that the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will disarm and return to Uganda a group of Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels. The group of the rebels, whom crossed into northeastern DRC last week, had surprise talks with United Nations officials. Read more at the BBC.

Thanks to the tireless work of Caitlin Rackish, Uganda-CAN's religious outreach coordinator and others, the Weekend of Prayer and Action was a success! Communities in different parts of the country learned, prayed and mobilized to call for peace in northern Uganda.

Yet, as the war wages on, so does our work. In the coming weeks, Uganda-CAN will feature new policy briefs, Op/Eds and resources, all of which can be accessed at our Web site. We will continue to organize and network for Gulu Walk Day, when on October 22, walks will happen in over 30 cities around the globe to call for peace in northern Uganda.

The Daily Monitor reports that the United States has said the longstanding war in northern Uganda is one of its major concerns. Ms. Ellis Margot, the new mission director of USAID, said the U.S. government is working to bring an end to this 19-year old conflict. She further said that the conflict in northern Uganda is a big problem that demands attention by both Uganda and the international community.

Margot said this on Wednesday during her maiden visit to Gulu district just five weeks after her posting to Uganda. She was previously based in the West Bank/Gaza.

USAID is supporting several activities in Gulu including a reception centre for formerly abducted children, a shelter for night commuters, a youth centre for HIV/Aids prevention, sign language training for deaf trainers, a supplemental and therapeutic feeding centre, and a road building project that employs internally displaced persons. Read more here.

We at Uganda-CAN are excited about Ms. Margot's commitment to supporting a swift and lasting resolution to the conflict in northern Uganda. The U.S. government has begun to become more engaged in this neglected humanitarian crisis, and we believe even further engagement will be critical. Visit Uganda-CAN's legislative page to see concrete policy steps the United States can and should take to support peace in northern Uganda.

The Daily Monitor reports today that the Government of Uganda (GOU) is seeking quick arrest warrants for top Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) leaders, following some of their alleged relocation to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Speaking from London, Sam Kutesa, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said the government may be running out of time to have Joseph Kony and five of his top commanders prosecuted before the International Criminal Court. Read more at AllAfrica.com.

For the first time since the inception of the war in northern Uganda, the United Nations has met with members of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). UN officials said the meeting was held in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where they discussed the disarmament of the group and the future possibilities for peace. General Paderi, a senior commander of the Congolese National Army was also in attendance. This meeting comes just days after a report that the LRA's deputy commander was believed to be among the LRA rebels in the DRC. Discussions will continue by phone between the LRA and the UN. Read more at the BBC.

Check out Uganda-CAN's legislative page to read more on relative United Nation's resolutions.

An editorial written by Human Rights Watch advocates Jemera Rone and Nicholas Galletti argues that the Government of Uganda has a poor record for improving the country's human rights situation.

"...Instead of effectively protecting civilians from the LRA's vicious assaults, UPDF soldiers have engaged in abuses of their own, often beating, raping and even killing civilians with near total impunity... No effective structure exists in the camps or in the system of government to hold the army accountable for its crimes, despite government assurances to the contrary," write Rone and Galletti.

The article goes on to note the positive development that the UN High Commission for Human Rights will soon be deploying human rights monitors throughout the region.

The Government of Uganda recently called for the retraction of Human Rights Watch's recent report that documents government abuses.

Read the editorial here.

The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed in January between the National Islamic Front (NIF) ruling regime in Sudan and the leaders of the southern Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement (SPLM) has weaknesses that could ultimately lead to its failure, argues Professor Eric Reeves in this SudanTribune analysis.

Among the weaknesses is evidence that the Government of Sudan has continued its covert support for the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), corroborated by a recent statement by UN Special Representative to Sudan Jan Pronk. The LRA has often been used by the Government of Sudan as a proxy militia to wreak havoc in Sudan's southern region.

Other weaknesses include an improper balance of power, difficulties in dividing oil revenues, and a lack of progress in stopping the ongoing genocide in the western region of Darfur. The LRA has typically based most of its operations in southern Sudan, though recently several commanders have also shifted to neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo. Maintenance of this tentative peace between North and South Sudan is critical to ensuring the end of the LRA war.

An editorial in Reuters Alertnet today says that the end of the LRA rebellion may be very imminent. Impending International Criminal Court (ICC) warrants calling for his arrest, his second-in-command Vincent Otti's flight last week to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and increasing military pressure from the Ugandan and Sudanese governments all seem to prophesize an end to the 19-year guerrilla war. However, many are skeptical of claims that the LRA will soon be defeated, noting that the group has managed to survive for 19 years.

The editorial portrays the impending ICC arrest warrants as positive development in the pursuit of ending the rebellion, quoting a Western diplomat as saying that "indictments would effectively end any chance he has to negotiate now, or move" and "no one wants to host an individual sought by the ICC." Uganda-CAN urges the ICC and all interested parties to open a true dialogue with the people of northern Uganda to ensure such a move is really the best way to move towards peace. Many people, including chief government negotiator Betty Bigombe and many Acholi religious leaders, think emphasis should be placed on peace before justice. They believe that the Ugandan amnesty program for LRA rebels is best method to achieve peace, and that a recent initiative by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants for high-ranking LRA commanders will deter them from surrender and prolong the war. Read more at AllAfrica.com about the views of northern Ugandans about trying to balance reconciliation, justice, and sustainable peace in the region.

Carolyn Davis, editorial writer at The Philadelphia Inquirer, has published an Op/Ed, titled "Let's Not Forget the Children of Uganda," which highlights Uganda-CAN's Prayer and Action Weekend for the Children of Northern Uganda happening now!

She writes, "This weekend is a nationwide 'Prayer and Action Weekend for the Children of Northern Uganda,' an idea conceived in Philadelphia. The Washington-based Uganda Conflict Action Network has mounted a national campaign to get ministers, rabbis, imams and priests to tell their congregations about this war. Stir them with knowledge into asking the United States to lead in bringing it to an end."


Read the article here.

Xinhua reports that the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Defense Minister Adolphe Onusumba has promised the international community that the DRC, with the help of UN forces in the region, will disarm a group of LRA rebels hiding in a national park in the northeastern part of the country. Last week LRA commander Vincent Otti and the 50 LRA soldiers crossed into the DRC from southern Sudan last week, reportedly to seek political asylum.

AllAfrica reports that the Ugandan government has demanded that Human Rights Watch (HRW) withdraw its recently released report Uprooted and Forgotten: Impunity and Human Rights Abuses in Northern Uganda, which details human rights abuses by the Ugandan military against civilians in northern Uganda. The Ugandan Defence Minister Amama Mbabazi likened it to "political pamphlets of the Uganda political opposition" and said that the Ugandan government do whatever it could to force its withdrawal.

An HRW official in Uganda denied the minister's claims and said they "would stand by the accuracy of the report."

Today and throughout this weekend, faith communities across the country will be speaking out for the children of northern Uganda. Join Uganda-CAN in our Weekend of Prayer and Action for peace in northern Uganda!

There are three ways to get involved!

1.) Ask local religious leaders to sign the declaration against the war.
2.) Speak out and pray for the children of northern Uganda.
3.) Send a letter to your local representative telling them to care for these children.

In the last week, a lot has happened in northern Uganda. The United States committed to supporting joint Ugandan-Sudanese military operations. Large numbers of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) fled into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Today, the deputy commander of the LRA made a request for political amnesty in the DRC.

There is hope and anxiety at what lies ahead. Our weekend of prayer and action could not be more critical.

Reuters reports now that Vincent Otti, the deputy leader of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) is asking for political asylum in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after fleeing to its remote northeastern jungles. Otti and about fifty rebels left southern Sudan's lawless mountains last week and crossed into the DRC. Ugandan Defense Minister Amama Mbabazi said, "Otti's group has declared their presence in DRC and are requesting political asylum...I am waiting to hear the response."

Leaving southern Sudan, Otti's group burned homes on the road between the Sudanese towns of Juba and Yei. This was the first time that the LRA has crossed the White Nile. The LRA had never crossed before, supposedly out of fear of losing the magical protection of their leader, self-proclaimed prophet Joseph Kony.

Mbabazi further said the main LRA force was split into three groups -- one with Otti in DRC, another west of the Nile inside Sudan, possibly heading to Congo, and a third with Kony, also inside Sudan.

According to The New Vision, the U.S. government has backed a planned military operation involving Uganda, Sudan and the SPLA to defeat the Lord's Resistance Army rebels in Uganda, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The U.S. security advisor, Steve Hadley, met with President Museveni in Washington and assured him of U.S. cooperation in the operation.

Although Uganda-CAN welcomes high-level attention from the US government to the conflict in northern Uganda, we urge Steve Hadley and other U.S. officials to give greater attention and support to Betty Bigombe, Uganda's chief peace negotiator with the LRA, and initiatives aimed at bringing about a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Many in northern Uganda believe that only a peaceful resolution to this conflict will bring a lasting peace.

In efforts to foster regional peace, legislators from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda have committed to ensure the implementation of peace treaties agreed upon by governments in the region.

The AMANI Great Lakes Parliamentarians Forum held two-day meetings in Kigali, Rwanda this week. Norbert Mao, chairman of the forum and Ugandan MP, said, "We need action taken in terms of accelerating peace in our region." Read more at AllAfrica.com.

William Bionx Akena, Uganda-CAN news correspondent in Gulu town, reports -

Two weeks ago, the people of Gulu district received a shocking revelation from a woman who claimed she had been sent by Joseph Kony to negotiate peace.

Uganda-CAN visited the camp yesterday to follow up on the case and met with LC-3 chairman Mr. Nyeko Geoffrey. He said, "This population in my area is fed up with such revelations that lead to scary situations. My people are tired of war."

The area local chief, Rwot Oyet Nyekorac, said, "It's rather unfortunate that these bad spirits are common in my area." When asked about the woman's claim, Rwot said he never took the issue seriously. He urged the population in the area to be calm. He is optimistic that the war in the region will come to an end soon.

The Daily Monitor reports of the Uganda's military's report that the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) killed seven soldiers of the Southern Sudanese Liberation Army forces and seven civilians in an ambush at Teretenya in southern Sudan. The army spokesman further said the Ugandan army has killed eight rebels in four separate encouters over the last week.

Reuters reports that Jan Pronk, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's special envoy in Sudan, has said that the peace agreement between southern Sudan's SPLA and the Khartoum-based Sudanese central government is fragile. Pronk was briefing the UN Security Council on status of peace efforts in Darfur and southern Sudan. He said that Dr. John Garang's death last July, which caused sporadic rioting, has been followed by a recent upswing in LRA activity in southern Sudan, as well as reports that some elements of the Sudanese military were still supporting the rebel group. He also expressed concern over the possibility of renewed conflict in southern Sudan as refugees begin returning to their homes there despite delays in the arrival of crucial humanitarian aid and UN peacekeepers.

Uganda-CAN urges the world to think of the conflicts in southern Sudan, Darfur, and northern Uganda as part of an interrelated regional conflict which can only be resolved through cooperation among all parties and the signing of regional peace agreements. Read more on Uganda-CAN's website about southern Sudan and Darfur and information on key actors there.

The Daily Monitor reports today that Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord's Resistance Army, is moving towards northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This comes days following the movement of two of Kony's senior commanders, Vincent Otti and Abdema, to the DRC.

The New Vision reports that President Museveni demands immediate extradition of Lord's Resistance Army leader Joseph Kony and remnants of his army that have recently crossed into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

There are reports that sixty fighters led by Kony's second-in-command Vincent Otti recently fled northern Uganda and southern Sudan to cross into northeastern DRC. The Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF) claimed the rebels are hiding in Garamba game park in the DRC.

The Daily Monitor, Uganda's largest independent newspaper, has published an article about the work of Uganda-CAN to bring the world's attention and resources to resolve the long-standing conflict in northern Uganda. It highlights our work with GuluWalk to mobilize people around the world to speak out for peace.

The article quotes Stephen Okello, Uganda-CAN's Director in Uganda. Stephen said, "We believe that children everywhere have the right to sleep in their own beds at night. For far too long, the children of northern Uganda have been denied this right."

Read the article at the Daily Monitor's Web site.

Xinhua reports that US National Security Advisor Steve Hadley promised Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni that the US would provide cooperation and support to planned joint military offensives between the UPDF, SPLA, and Sudanese government against the LRA. He also promised Museveni that he will ask the US's UN representative John Bolton to urge greater UN presence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where over a band of LRA soldiers are believed to have recently fled.

Although Uganda-CAN welcomes high-level attention from the US government to the conflict in northern Uganda, we urge Steve Hadley and other officials to give greater attention and support to Betty Bigombe, Uganda's chief negotiator with the LRA, and initiatives aimed at bringing about a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

The Uganda Conflict Action Network (Uganda-CAN) will lead religious leaders and communities across the United States in a weekend of prayer and action for the children of northern Uganda. Uganda-CAN is asking religious communities to speak out, pray and mobilize to support the children of northern Uganda that have been targets of the war for nearly two decades.

“Together we are raising a chorus of voices to demand attention to this forgotten war,” said Caitlin Rackish, Uganda-CAN religious outreach coordinator. “We are asking faith leaders across the U.S. and the world to break the silence, speaking and praying in solidarity for peace with our brothers and sisters in northern Uganda.”

A recent study by the World Food Programme reports that 1,000 people are dying weekly in northern Uganda. In the wake of this report, Olara Otunnu, former-UN under-secretary general for children and armed conflict, equated the conflict in northern Uganda to “slow genocide.”

This weekend, Uganda-CAN is asking religious leaders to speak to their communities about the plight of children, while leading prayer and action towards a more peaceful future that affirms the dignity and life of those in northern Uganda. Through phone calls, letters and demonstrations, Uganda-CAN will work to demand that policymakers prioritize these children.

Beyond mobilizing their communities, Uganda-CAN, a transcontinental advocacy network, is asking religious leaders to sign a declaration condemning the war. The declaration reads, “We refuse to be silent any longer in the face of this gross assault on the integrity of God’s creation. In solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Uganda, we call for a more peaceful future that affirms the dignity and life of all. We condemn the use of child soldiers and call for a swift resolution of the conflict.”

Michael Poffenberger, advocacy director of Uganda-CAN said, “Religious communities have the power to be prophetic voices for the poor and marginalized. This weekend, we are asking religious communities to raise their prophetic voices to declare that we are our brother’s keeper in Uganda and shall speak out until the violence of war and hunger fall silent in northern Uganda.”

Learn more at the Uganda-CAN Prayer and Action Weekend page.

The Ugandan military (UPDF) has denied claims in a recently released Human Rights Watch (HRW) report accusing them of human rights abuses against civilians in northern Uganda. The report said that the UPDF regularly commits abuses such as "rape, arbitrary arrests and detention, as well as beatings and killings in the camps", and that perpetrators have had "complete immunity from prosecution." UPDF spokesman Shabaan Bantariza denied the allegations, saying that military personnel who are caught committing human rights abuses are punished and claimed that the UPDF has a battalion of troops protecting all of the 100 IDP camps in northern Uganda. Read more at the Inter Press Service News Agency.

Mark Pritchard, a British Member of Parliament, has called for the offering of a financial reward for the capture of LRA leader Joseph Kony, reports AllAfrica.

"The reward should not be more than US$1m (about sh1.8b). It will motivate those around Kony to hand him over," he said. "We were appalled by what we saw in the camps. This unimaginable suffering should be put to an end and the perpetrators brought to book," he further commented.

Pritchard made the remarks after he and several other British MPs concluded their trip visiting northern Uganda. The visit comes on the heels of a recent report released by the World Health Organization which claims that over 1000 excess deaths occur per week in Uganda's northern region as a result of the conflict. An editorial in today's Daily Monitor notes that the report implies that up to a million people have perished in the two decades of violence.

An attack yesterday by LRA rebels on a school bus between the towns of Juba and Yei in southern Sudan left 14 dead, reports SudanTribune. Most of the casualties were women and children.

"The LRA is a big source of concern for us. The government of south Sudan will take all the necessary steps to expel them so we can protect the civilians who live in these areas," Pagan Amun, a senior official in the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M) said.

LRA forces recently crossed the Nile to the western side, where they have been conducting attacks in Sudan. Some have reportedly moved across the border into the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These movements represent a major shift in the dynamics of the conflict. AllAfrica reports that Ugandan President Youweri Museveni has called for the extradition of Kony and LRA commanders from Congo and Sudan.

The recently released Human Rights Watch report detailing UPDF and LRA human rights abuses against civilians in northern Uganda has received widespread coverage in news outlets around the world. The report was covered by CNN, BBC, The Guardian Unlimited, and in newspapers in over 12 states in the US. Uganda-CAN welcomes the attention on the conflict in northern Uganda, and hopes it will spark renewed international willpower to support the peace process and end the conflict.

The New Vision reports that the SPLA has deployed hundreds of soldiers in the town of Yei in southern Sudan in response to LRA attacks last week along the recently opened Juba-Yei road. 150-200 LRA soldiers are reported to be in the area.

The Uganda Conflict Action Network (Uganda-CAN) will lead religious leaders and communities across the United States in a weekend of prayer and action for the children of northern Uganda. Uganda-CAN is asking religious communities to speak out, pray and mobilize to support the children of northern Uganda that have been targets of the war for nearly two decades.

“Together we are raising a chorus of voices to demand attention to this forgotten war,” said Caitlin Rackish, Uganda-CAN religious outreach coordinator. “We are asking faith leaders across the U.S. and the world to break the silence, speaking and praying in solidarity for peace with our brothers and sisters in northern Uganda.”

Over the last two decades, more than 30,000 children have been abducted as a result of this war, forced into soldiering and sexual slavery. Many of the girls who are abducted become pregnant and must care for their children while fighting a war they did not choose. Up to 50,000 more children are forced to walk miles nightly into towns to sleep unprotected on streets, so as to avoid being kidnapped.

A recent study by the World Food Programme reports that 1,000 people are dying weekly in northern Uganda. In the wake of this report, Olara Otunnu, former-UN under-secretary general for children and armed conflict, equated the conflict in northern Uganda to “slow genocide.”

This weekend, Uganda-CAN is asking religious leaders to speak to their communities about the plight of children, while leading prayer and action towards a more peaceful future that affirms the dignity and life of those in northern Uganda. Through phone calls, letters and demonstrations, Uganda-CAN will work to demand that policymakers prioritize these children.

“For too long, the children of northern Uganda have been forgotten and neglected by the world,” said Peter Quaranto, director of Uganda-CAN. “By our silence, we are accepting the loss of a whole generation of children.”

Beyond mobilizing their communities, Uganda-CAN, a transcontinental advocacy network, is asking religious leaders to sign a declaration condemning the war. The declaration reads, “We refuse to be silent any longer in the face of this gross assault on the integrity of God’s creation. In solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Uganda, we call for a more peaceful future that affirms the dignity and life of all. We condemn the use of child soldiers and call for a swift resolution of the conflict.”

Michael Poffenberger, advocacy director of Uganda-CAN said, “Religious communities have the power to be prophetic voices for the poor and marginalized. This weekend, we are asking religious communities to raise their prophetic voices to declare that we are our brother’s keeper in Uganda and shall speak out until the violence of war and hunger fall silent in northern Uganda.”

Learn more at the Uganda-CAN Prayer and Action Weekend page.

When Erin Larive emailed Rebekah Heacock from Uganda about the horrors of northern Uganda, Rebekah knew she had to do something. Mobilizing fellow students at the University of Kansas with the help of Uganda-CAN, Rebekah launched Kansas University for Uganda (KU4U) to raise awareness and to work for peace in the neglected, war-torn region of northern Uganda. Over the coming months, KU4U plans to host Gulu Walk Day in Lawrence, Kansas, along with a public showing in November of the documentary Invisible Children.

Yet, the sky is the limit for these passionate KU students who refuse to be silent in the face of unnecessary human suffering. They are a shining example of how people in their own communities can do their part to promote peace both locally and internationally.

Thirty-two cities from around the world have made the commitment to participate in GuluWalk Day and walk in unison for the ‘night commuters’ of northern Uganda on Saturday, October 22, 2005.

Every night as many as 40,000 children living in rural northern Uganda walk into the town of Gulu and other urban centres to sleep in relative safety and to avoid abduction by the rebel army. These ‘night commuters’ walk from as far as 12km away and make the return trek home every single day.

From Toronto (Canada) to London (UK) to Washington, DC, and even Gulu and Kampala, Uganda, GuluWalk Day has positioned itself to be the largest ever show of solidarity for this all but forgotten 19-year civil war.

After the success of the one-month GuluWalk in Toronto in July, the response worldwide was astounding and has resulted in this international civil movement. It is a one-day event that will send a clear message that this is a vital issue to citizens worldwide and that they will no longer sit idly when there is indeed an opportunity for peace.

The original GuluWalk, which lasted for 31 days, saw Adrian Bradbury and Kieran Hayward conduct their own ‘night commute’. Every evening in July they walked 12.5 km into downtown Toronto to sleep in front of city hall. After about fours hours sleep they made the trek home at sunrise, all while continuing to work full-time and attempting to maintain their usual daily routine.

Cities set to participate in GuluWalk Day on Saturday, October 22, 2005 include:

Canada - Calgary, AB; Edmonton, AB; Halifax, NS; Kitchener, ON; Montreal, QC; North Bay, ON; Ottawa, ON; St. John's, NF; Toronto, ON; Vancouver, BC; Winnipeg, MB

USA - Austin, TX; Boston, MA; Chapel Hill, NC; Denver, CO; Lawrence, KS; Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; Pittsburgh, PA; Rochester, NY; Seattle, WA; South Bend, IN; Syracuse, NY; San Diego, CA; Washington, DC

World - Beijing (China); Coventry (UK), Gulu (Uganda); Kampala (Uganda); London (UK); Stockholm (Sweden); Uzice (Serbia)

GuluWalk Day is a proud partner of the Act for Stolen Children in Northern Uganda campaign, which is designed to raise public awareness, increase public support and raise funds to aid children affected by the humanitarian crisis and conflicts in northern Uganda. The campaign is also designed to encourage and support governments to play a leadership role in resolving the crisis in northern Uganda via work with the International Criminal Court and the United Nations, and other agencies.

To get involved or start a walk in your community, contact Christine at cmcglinchy@ugandacan.org.

For more information, visit www.guluwalk.com and www.actforstolenchildren.org, or contact Adrian Bradbury at adrian@guluwalk.com.

The International Centre for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) and the Human Rights Centre (HRC) has published a report surveying views of northern Ugandans about peace and justice issues in relation to the LRA rebellion. 2,585 people in Gulu, Kitgum, Lira and Soroti districts were interviewed, many IDPs displaced by the conflict. Over 75% said that both the UPDF and LRA should be punished for human rights atrocities, although many thought that low-ranking LRA soldiers, who are often child abductees, should not be punished.

The views expressed revealed several important issues relating to peace and justice in northern Uganda. Many people, including chief government negotiator Betty Bigombe and many Acholi religious leaders, think emphasis should be placed on peace before justice. They believe that the Ugandan amnesty program for LRA rebels is best method to achieve peace, and that a recent initiative by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants for high-ranking LRA commanders will deter them from surrender and prolong the war.

Many Acholi also object to the idea of LRA soldiers being tried outside of Uganda, or even outside of northern Uganda. They think that LRA soldiers should be subject to the traditional justice system, which would include a cleansing ritual. However, others expressed concern that the traditional justice system and cleansing rituals are not sufficient given the extreme nature of the crimes of some LRA commanders, and that amnesty without punishment is unfair to the victims of LRA crimes.

Questions were also raised as to how UPDF soldiers that have committed crimes against IDPs should be punished. Additionally, issue of reparations to victims of the LRA and UPDF was discussed, some advocating money payments to victims.

Read more at allAfrica.com about the struggles of northern Ugandans to come to terms with two decades of conflict and try to balance reconciliation, justice, and sustainable peace.

A British parliamentarian, Mark Pritchard, has suggested that a reward of no more than one million US$ be offered in return for the capture of Joseph Kony, the leader of the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). Pritchard was traveling with a larger delegation of British parliamentarians, who said they would urge the British government to do more to assist IDPs in the region. Read more at the People's Daily Online.

Human Rights Watch has today published a report, "Uprooted and Forgotten: Impunity and Human Rights Abuses in Northern Uganda," which documents atrocities commited by both the Lord's Resistance Army and the Ugandan army against the civilian population. As the war continues in its 19th year, 1.9 million displaced civilians remain vulnerable to rape, murder and other abuses by both the rebel and army forces.

Jemera Rone, Uganda researcher at HRW, said, "Uganda has asked the International Criminal Court to investigate and prosecute abuses by the Lord's Resistance Army. But the Ugandan army itself has carried out serious crimes that demand prosecution."

HRW calls for meaningful national prosecutions, which would provide a valuable supplement to the ICC's investigation. In addition, a broad truth-telling process would give the people of northern Uganda a forum to raise and speak out human rights abuses that have occurred during the war.

Read the report at the HRW Web site.

A report from the International Organization for Migration, released on ReliefWeb, reports that many of the children living in IDP camps in northern Uganda suffer from especially high rates of HIV/AIDS and rarely get the necessary support and assistance they need. Though HIV prevalence rates have fallen to 4% throughout much of Uganda, the rate is between 11-16% in Gulu district. They also are disproportionately vulnerable to sexual and gender-based violence. The report pointed to the presence of Ugandan military personnel near the camps as contributing to the high rates of abuse, violence, and HIV transmission. Other reports have detailed how many IDP women, unable to support themselves or their families economically, are forced into prostitution, often for UPDF soldiers.

In light of this report and the recently released Amnesty International report detailing human rights abuses by the UPDF in northern Uganda, Ugandan-CAN hopes to generate thoughtful discussion about the role of the Ugandan military in the region as part of its broader Special Inquiry into the Role of the Ugandan government in northern Uganda.

A report by Human Rights Watch to be released today documents widespread abuse of the civilian population in northern Uganda at the hands of the Ugandan military. Such human rights violations are common in the region, and a culture of impunity prevails for members of the armed forces. Weak judicial structures and a lack of accountability have prevented such abuse from ending. Relations between civilians and the military are consequently plagued by acrimonious mistrust.

"The UPDF has committed crimes against civilians with near total impunity. Displaced people remain isolated, ignored and unprotected, vulnerable to abuse by rebels and army forces," the report notes. Read more at AllAfrica.

This document provides a context within which conversations regarding the Government of Uganda's role in the northern region must commence. While a recent upsurge in military engagements demonstrates renewed government efforts to deal with the crisis, two decades have passed with conditions in the northern region only worsening. Look for further commentary from Uganda-CAN partners regarding the role of the government in the north in coming weeks.

Yesterday, former United Nations under-secretary for Children and Armed Conflict, Olara Otunnu equated the conflict in northern Uganda to a "slow genocide." His declaration comes following a recent World Health Organization report that 1,000 people are dying weekly in northern Uganda due to the effects of the war. This news highlights the gravity of suffering due to the war.

In light of this news about insecurity and the poor conditions of northern Uganda, the Uganda Conflict Action Network is today launching a special inquiry into the role of the Ugandan government in this crisis. The failure to protect the civilians of northern Uganda, coupled with an unwillingness to call for international help, raises concerns about the capacity and intent of the Government of Uganda (GOU).

Over the next few weeks, the Uganda-CAN Web site will feature commentaries by prominent analysts and leaders about this role of the GOU in this war. We encourage people to submit short pieces to Paul Ronan, Uganda-CAN's Conflict Analyst, at pronan@UgandaCAN.org. Select commentaries will also be posted daily.

Uganda-CAN's hope is that initiating such a forum of dialogue on this issue will help illuminate the road forward for a resolution to the longstanding war in northern Uganda. The inquiry will culminate with a Uganda-CAN special briefing.

William Bionx Akena, Uganda-CAN news correspondent from Gulu town, reports -

Many within the Acholi community, especially those from the counties of Kilak and Aswa in Gulu district, have expressed concern over using their area as ceasefire zones. They fear that their unprotected lands will be harvested by LRA rebels for food crops.

On Saturday, Uganda-CAN visited Bibia IDP camp just seven miles away from the southern Sudan town of Nimule. We met the LC-5 Councillor, Mr. Okeny Justine, who expressed similar concern about their areas being utilized for ceasefire zones. "Last year during the ceasefire period, we lost 36 gardens of sim-sim that were harvested by rebels. The government has not done anything to compensate my people."

People of Aswa share the same opinion as those in Gulu district. People are interested and excited about the prospect of peace talks, but they worry that ceasefires usually come around the time when food in the gardens is ready to harvest.

The district resident commissioner for Gulu told Uganda-CAN that all farmers whose crops were harvested during the ceasefire period would be compensated. Yet, while many have put their claims into writing, nothing to date has been done about these problems.

This issue highlights the miscommunication between the Government of Uganda and the people of northern Uganda that has been a hallmark of the longstanding conflict. Consequently, the Uganda Conflict Action Network calls for international, national and local conferences that bring together all stakeholders to communicate a common vision towards peace.

AllAfrica reports that Olara Otunnu, who recently resigned his post as UN Under-Secretary for Children and Armed Conflict to focus on lobbying for peace in Uganda, equated the situation in the country's northern region to genocide.

"The genocide unfolding in northern Uganda is happening on our watch, and with our full knowledge. Why is there no action?" he asked an audience at Lehman College in New York on Friday.

A recent World Health Organization report brought to light the devastation taking place in northern Uganda's camps for the displaced, where approximately 1.5 million live and, the report notes, 1000 are dying per week due to the effects of the war. Such high mortality rates, coupled with the unravelling of local culture, bring many call the conflict a slow genocide of the Acholi, Langi, and Iteso tribes. When will the horror end?

Uganda-CAN calls for fuller engagement from the international community to bolster the efforts of mediator Betty Bigombe to bring a peaceful end to the conflict. Massive efforts will also be needed to facilitate the return of internal refugees to their land, to undertake reconstruction and education initiatives for a generation lagging behind, and to organize a national forum for truth-telling and reconciliation.

Uganda's New Vision reports that Vincent Otti, Kony's second-in-command of the LRA, has crossed the Nile and headed into eastern Congo. Kony is thought to have crossed the Nile further north, and is now based at an unknown location in southern Sudan. The article further reports that only one LRA group remains in Uganda, comprised of approximately 30 fighters near the town of Kalongo in Pader district.

Otti and his group of fighters is blamed for the recent attack on the southern Sudanese town of Yei on the western side of the Nile. A press release from the Lord's Resistance Army Information Bureau, based in London, claims that such a crossing of the Nile would be impossible, however, and that the LRA has been blamed for an attack that it did not commit. SudanTribune has the press release here.

Meanwhile, AllAfrica reports that the Sudanese government has agreed to participate in trilateral operations against the LRA, utilizing Ugandan, northern and southern Sudanese troops against the rebel group. Defense ministers from the two countries will soon meet to discuss details. US State Department Special Envoy to Sudan Roger Winter is thought to have played a key role in lobbying the Government of Sudan to expel the LRA from Sudan so that reconstruction in the country's war-ravaged southern region can commence.

This coming weekend, September 23-25, is the weekend of prayer and action for northern Uganda. Please see the prayer newly posted on the weekend website here, written by a leader in the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative.

One month from this weekend will be the Global GuluWalks, when groups in cities around the world will walk in solidarity with night commuter children. 35 cities have registered to walk so far! To register a walk in your area, email Adrian at adrian@guluwalk.com, and visit guluwalk.com for more details.

Patrick Mutto, Uganda-CAN correspondent in Uganda, reports -

A test program for reintegrating ex-combatants and girls abducted by the LRA is to start soon, reported Chalres Uma, Gulu district chairman for disaster preparedness.

Mr. Uma said that the Amnesty Commission, the district Disaster Preparedness Office, representatives of the ex-combatants, and the Acholi private sector have completed a sensitization exercise in ten camps that were identified for the first phase of the program. The UN Development Program donated US $200,000 for the program. The first phase is to benefit 500 former combatants and 100 ordinary citizens.

Currently, children who escape from the ranks of the rebel LRA are first taken for questioning by the Ugandan military, then are checked into one of a handful of rehabilitation centers run by international aid organizations spread throughout the region. Due to limited resources and an often-overwhelming rate of children coming to the centers, most children stay for only a month before they are returned to their homes. Many of the children suffer severe trauma, having witnessed or participated in killing or been the victim of sustained sexual violence.

Patrick Mutto, Uganda-CAN correspondent in Uganda, reports -

The army has reported that it killed six Lord's Resistance Army rebels in Atanga, 25 kilometers north of Pader.

Northern army spokesman Captian Paddy Ankunda revealed this to journalists yesterday. Two rifles and 200 rounds of ammunition were also recovered. Ankunda urged civilians to be vigilant as many rebels remain at large.

Ugandan military operations have been increasing of late. The rebel LRA are receiving pressure from numerous angles; LRA forces in Sudan were attacked by Sudanese troops last week. Many hope that the added pressure will push rebel leader Joseph Kony to the negotiating table to end the conflict peacefully.

A Uganda-CAN team made an assessment trip to northern Uganda in June, visiting sites in Gulu and Kitgum districts. The team took video footage, which is being edited and will result in a video journal this fall.

Now available, however, is an audio clip taken at a night commuter center in Gulu. The clip includes two songs, a traditional tune and the Ave Maria, sung by these children after they recite prayers and before they go to bed. The night commuter center where the songs are sung shelters more than 500 kids on most nights, and was formerly a religious training center, converted to the commuter center when the need arose.

Listen to the music now by clicking here.

Let us join the children in their pleas for an end to the violence that destroys their lives.

William Bionx Akena, Uganda-CAN correspondent in Gulu, reports -

LRA commander Joseph Kony is merely using peace mediations led by Betty Bigombe to buy more time, argues Walter Ochora, Gulu district chairman. Many in Uganda’s war-torn northern region fear that Kony may agree to offers of a ceasefire only to regroup his troops and will subsequently retract any bid for peace.

Ochora delivered the thoughts to a team of six British Members of Parliament who were in Gulu town yesterday. He encouraged them to see for themselves the plight of civilians in the region and to contribute in any way they can to ending the nineteen-year-long conflict.

The head of the British delegation, Miss Patricia Hollis, told the Gulu district team that many in Britain’s parliament are wondering how the conflict has lasted for so long.

Ochora argued to the MPs that as long as Kony is alive, the war would not end. He urged the British to pressure the Sudanese government to expel Kony from southern Sudan, saying that Sudanese support for the LRA is the primary cause of the war’s prolongation, and that Kony would only negotiate peace when under military duress. He also urged the delegation to give support to Bigombe’s efforts to end the conflict by peaceful means.

From William Bionx Akena, Uganda-CAN correspondent in Gulu -

Lord's Resistance Army rebel activities have visibly increased in the last week, as Ugandan military operations have stepped up pressure on the group.

On September 13th, a rebel was killed during an attempted raid near Acholi Bur town. Ten others escaped. The area is commonly used as a crossing point for LRA forces.

On September 11th, a group of four LRA rebels were fired on by the Ugandan military patrol as they attempted to steal vegetables from a garden outside Okinga village. Two were killed and the others fled.

On September 10th, six suspected LRA rebels raided Ariaga village, about two kilometers from Gulu town. They maimed a disabled man, who fortunately survived, fired a shot, looted foodstuffs and abducted a nineteen-year-old boy. Ugandan troops failed to track down the group. Also on the 10th, rebels looted groundnuts and abducted three young girls from Oryang village in Kitgum district.

On September 8th, a group of approximately 100 LRA forces was seen heading towards Madi Opei, a camp on the border of Sudan in Kitgum District. Two other groups of rebels were spotted, one crossing a road in Kitgum and one attempting to raid a camp for the displaced. The raid was abandoned when the group was seen.

Today's Daily Monitor reports that a top LRA commander, known only as Capt. Ocheing, has been killed. The UPDF said that he was killed 30km northwest of Pader district in Olim.

In response to the LRA's attack deep into southern Sudan on Tuesday, the SPLA (Sudan People's Liberation Army) responded today with a military offensive to drive the LRA out of Sudan. Deputy chairman of the southern Sudan government Riek Machar said that the operation was only a defensive measure and expressed hope that the Ugandan government and LRA could come to a peaceful settlement. Read more at the Sudan Tribune.

Sam Kutesa, Uganda's Foreign Minister, discussed the conflict in northern Uganda in an interview with allafrica.com yesterday. He blamed the longevity of the war on Sudan's military support and harboring of LRA rebels in southern Sudan. However, Kutesa expressed hope that improvement's in relations between the governments of Sudan and Uganda, the end of Sudanese support for the LRA, and the recent peace agreement ending the civil war in southern Sudan will lead to a prompt end of the LRA rebellion. He said that the Ugandan government is pursuing several avenues of ending the rebellion; continuous military pressure, peace talks through Betty Bigombe, pending international arrest warrants through the International Criminal Court, and an amnesty program for rebels who surrender themselves.

Although Uganda-CAN is also hopeful that LRA rebellion will end soon, we urge the Ugandan government to acknowledge its own role in perpetuating the conflict through its stubborn commitment to a military solution as the primary means of ending the conflict. Also, we urge the government to realize that even if the LRA rebellion does end, the potential for conflict will remain high until it addresses the grievances of all northern Ugandans- inadequate aid to IDPs, political marginalization, military human rights abuses, and fears that IDPs will be unable to return to their land once the conflict ends.

Accompanied by several state ministers, President Yoweri Museveni held talks this week with United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan. The meeting centered around issues of security, peace and development in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. Museveni and Annan also co-chaired a regional summit on Burundi, welcoming President Pierre Nkurunziza and applauding Burundians upon achieving peace. Read more on Allafrica.com.

In addition, earlier in the day, Museveni met with President Geroge W. Bush at the UN Headquarters. Bush also hosted Museveni to dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Read more at the State House of Uganda's website.

Check Uganda-CAN's Legislative Page to see relative information on the United Nations in northern Uganda as well as specific actions Uganda-CAN is advocating the American Government to take.

Working towards our goal to become a comprehensive source of information about the background, current developments, regional implications, and relevant legislation concerning the conflict in northern Uganda, we have significantly expanded the content of our website in the past several weeks. By navigating the left side-bar or clicking directly on the links below, check out our most recent additions:
-Great Lakes Region- information about the conflicts plaguing much of the Great Lakes region and policy connections between conflicts in northern Uganda and Sudan.
-Legislation- read about Uganda-CAN's policy recommendations to the US government and browse through US and UN legislation about the northern Uganda and the Great Lakes region.
-Glossary- information on key terms and actors in the conflicts in northern Uganda and Sudan.

Look for more resources coming soon!

Reauters AlertNet reports that the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has joined the recent multitude of international humanitarian bodies calling for increased aid and attention to the predicament of displaced persons in northern Uganda. Martin Mogwanja, the UNICEF envoy to Uganda, also called for renewed commitment to the peace talks between the Ugandan government and LRA, saying "the mediation process needs to move forward to come to a ... ceasefire so that security can be restored and eventually a sustained peace." In recent weeks representatives from the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization, Netherlands, the IRC, and now UNICEF have all strongly urged the international community and Ugandan government to act decisively to assist IDPs and commit to the peace process.

William Bionx Akena, Uganda-CAN correspondent in Gulu, reports -

A woman in northern Uganda, identified as Acan Sharon, is causing panic in her community with shocking claims that she is a messenger of LRA leader Joseph Kony. A mother of two, Sharon lives 32 miles north of Gulu town in Palaro sub-county.

She told Uganda-CAN yesterday from Palaro IDP camp that the LRA holy spirit showed up to her on September 8th, and asked her to deliver a message to the traditional and religious leaders in the district.

The message is one of peace. Sharon claims Kony has designated her to organize a peace prayer today, September 14th, and to lead the LRA into peace talks. The purpose of the prayer, Sharon says, is to make it possible for the district to select a team of their own who will be led by her to Kony's current location.

Traditional beliefs have played a central role in the unraveling of the two-decade-old war in northern Uganda. Kony is believed by the local pop