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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 population to posess great spiritual powers. Religious rituals are conducted on the children his rebel group abducts to convince them of these powers and to prevent them from attempting escape.

The legitimacy of Sharon's claims to be a messenger of Kony are yet to be determined. Hopes for a negotiated solution to the crisis are high at the moment, as mediator Betty Bigombe has regained contact with rebel leadership.

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

The embattled former leader of the Holy Spirit Movement, Ms. Alice Lakwena, has been asked by her father to return to Uganda from the refugee camp in Kenya where she has lived for almost two decades.

Lakwena's father, Severino Lukoya, has pleaded with his daughter to came back home from exile. Mr. Lukoya made the plea last week during Sunday prayers from his church, called the New World Melta Jerusalem in Gulu municipality.

Alice Lakwena, who led the Holy Spirit rebels in 1986 to fight the current government of President Yoweri Museveni, is now demanding that the government pay her millions of shillings (several thousand dollars) for the destruction of her property during the then-National Resistance Army rebellion. The Holy Spirit Movement, as it was called, was defeated in the late 1980's; out if its remnants, the LRA was born under Joseph Kony, the LRA's current leader.

Lukoya hoped the return of his daughter would be signal of good faith to Kony, and a possible catalyst for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

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

Two local defense unit forces and their commander were yesterady shot dead by UPDF soldiers in Kitgum district. Uganda's military personnel shortages have led government officials to employ local men in army detaches called Local Defense Units. Such units defend camps from rebel attacks, and are sometimes deployed to mobile operations against the LRA.

The 5th division spokeman Lt Deo Akiki told Uganda-CAN yesterday evening that the incident involved UPDF soldiers based at Akilok. The soldiers have been arrested and will face court martial.

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

In northern Uganda's camps for the displaced, home to over 80% of the region's population, there is no shortage of challenges for the residents. Food scarcity is a daily reality, and the World Health Organization recently reported that violence and disease are causing 1000 excess deaths per week.

Perhaps most discouraging, however, is the high incidence of rape. With a twenty-year civil war wreaking havoc in the region, violence has gradually affected every aspect of life. Lacking employment opportunities and land to farm, locals have experienced an increase in the defilement of women and girls.

Ugandan soldiers--commissioned with the task of civilian protection--are also to blame. Just yesterday, a soldier from the Ugandan military reportedly raped a twelve-year-old girl in Gulu municipality for over six hours. The girl lived with her younger sister in a child-headed household, her parents lost to sickness or war.

Mrs. Florence Angee, the local government chairperson, narrated what happened to Uganda-CAN. She said, "The soldier came holding his gun over the totally orphaned family of two sisters and asked for money, but when the elder girl said she did not have money, he asked for salt this time but on offering the salt for him he ordered her to put it down."

The soldier later asked the girl to cover her head with bedsheets and not to uncover it until he was gone; he then took her about a kilometer away and raped her several times through the night. Local police are currently investigating the incident.

Children of northern Uganda are rarely free from fear. The rebel Lord's Resistance Army attacks at night, abducting children into their ranks, killing and mutilating many. The Ugandan military, with a mandate to protect civilians in the North from the rebels, has also been guilty of committing human rights abuses.

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

Stone quarrying, groundnut hawking and car washing are amongst the work activities that more and more children are doing in Gulu town.

District Labor Officer Mr. Okello John Bosco told us that the district does not have a properly arranged constitution for the rights of these children that are being exploited. A lot of families are just trying to make ends meet by providing their children with small commodities to sell in town. Okello said he feels bad about the conditions of work for some of these children because they go long days without meals and barely anything to take back to school.

Uganda-CAN spoke to one 13-year-old who roasts ground nuts in a small bar in Gulu town. He told us that he has been in the business for the last six years and keeps getting better at the work. The challenges he faces includes drunkards in the area who often eat the nuts without paying. Yet, while the work has become easier, he hopes to get back to school one day with the help of sponsorship.

There are many children in Gulu town who have resorted to doing these things as a means of survival. Due to hardships, many of these children will end of joining the forces just to get away from a bleak future. Unfortunately, many have already died, with little recognition from a society that knows far too much death.

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

Despite the hardships existing in northern Uganda, many families continue to send their children to school, believing that education may be the last hope for the Acholi community.

Pabwo Parish, a small village in Gulu district, is home to such families. Yet, the obstacles are immense as a bridge broke down over eighteen months ago and was only restored by the Ministry of Works last month. Some children from this village have lost their lives crossing over a rail that was place across the bridge for them to pass on their way to town schools. There have been reported cases of death during the rainy season, especially when the river becomes more rapid.

Uganda-CAN spoke to one LC2 councillor who told us that despite these physical challenges, it is critcal for the children to get education. He never attended school, thus he treasures this opportunity for his children.

Most of these children have lost time and resources because of the continuous rebel attacks in northern Uganda. Yet, they continue to push on, walking far distances and overcoming physical barriers, to demand their right to education.

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

For those who have been abducted by the LRA and manage to escape the war in northern Uganda, returning to their homes and families is often difficult. Ex-combatants face stigma, and often many have lost years in school.

One group of returnees in Gulu have formed an organization called the Formerly Abducted Children’s Association. Their vice-chairman shared what motivated them to start such an organization.

“The stigma on us is very great in the district, and we felt we could do something different by coming up as a team to do some thing better,” he said. Ex-combatants often must overcome great adversity when reentering civilian life.

Other ex-combatants have gone into successful business ventures. A second-hand cloth merchant in Gulu, Lamonlony Morgan, says business for him is good. He returned from the war and started the business to provide food for himself and his family.

To many ex-combatants, life is not all lost, but every day is a challenge.

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

A twelve-year-old girl named Angee was recently reunited with her mother after nearly a year and a half of searching.

Angee disappeared from her parents during the night of March 19, 2004 when the LRA attacked an IDP camp in Bungatira sub-county. Hundreds lost their lives during the attack.

Angee was last week reunited with her mother, who now lives in Awach IDP camp in Gulu. Angee told Uganda-CAN she had been moving from family to family, living with anybody willing to take care of her. She had moved from Lacor, to Palenga Camp and finally to Coo-Pee Camp where she and her mother were reunited.

People living in the camps suffer from food shortage and malnutrition, but many still extended Angee their hospitality. The generosity for which the local Acholi people are known has not died, even when under assault by the war.

This is just one example of the countless lost sons and daughters of Uganda, many of whom will never reunite with their parents.

Fiona Mwesigwa, Uganda-CAN correspondent in Kampala, reports on several recent news briefs -

Sudanese authorities have declined to renew an agreement they signed with Uganda which allows the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) to pursue Kony and his rebels into southern Sudan. This development comes as a surprise. Recent positive developments, including an agreement between the two countries to put more pressure on the LRA rebels hiding in Sudan, now look set to fall apart.
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The Deputy First Prime Minister and Minister for Refugees, Lt. Gen. Moses Ali, recently said that Sudanese refugees living in Uganda will not be forced to return to their home country in the near future, as the security situation in southern Sudan is still volatile. He did however stress the importance of their eventual return home. This scenario implies a complex refugee situation; not only does Uganda have to cope with its own displaced, but an ever-increasing population of Sudanese refugees must also be dealt with.
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In the Teso region, some 40 guns were recovered by the UPDF, the police and the Arrow boys (a local militia established to defend the population from the LRA). About 70 individuals were arrested and charged with illegal possession of firearms. The possession of small arms has greatly contributed to the instability in the northern region of Uganda. If there should be a sustained peace effort within the region, the issue of small arms must be critically addressed.