Minster of Relief and Disaster Preparedness Tarsis Kabwegyere has said that all the internally displaced persons camps in northern Uganda will be dismantled by December 31 as a way of making the people resettle in their homes. He said the government and humanitarian organisations have enough resources to distribute to the people as they resettle into their home, "The sooner we dismantle the camps, the better because it will be done to improve the problems the displaced persons are facing," he said. Many in northern Uganda remain concerned, nonetheless, that government and business elements are working to grab parts of their land for commercial use. Uganda-CAN urges the Ugandan government and partnering NGOs to ensure that people's land rights and protection needs are ensured as part of any resettlement plan. Read more at The Monitor.

UN agencies working in northern Uganda say an unprecedented number of people displaced by the war are starting to make their way home. The UNHCR estimates that more than 300,000 of 1.7 million displaced people have already left the camps as the Juba peace talks have continued. According to UNHCR estimates, half a million people will have begun to return to their land by the end of 2006. UNHCR says this may well be one of the largest-scale movements of its kind ever to occur in Africa. Dennis McNamara from the United Nations Humanitarian Office in Geneva said the displaced Ugandans were voting with their feet for peace. Read more at the BBC News.

Gladys Oroma, Uganda-CAN news correspondent, reports that a UPDF soldier, known as Pte Afriano Bono-Lino, last evening shot seven people dead in Pader district. Bono–Lino Africano, a member of the 93rd battalion in Laguti camp, shot the seven during a clan meeting. The clan meeting was called by clan elders, to try and solve the long-standing domestic problems between the soldier and his wife. The northern region spokesman Lt. Chris Magezi said the incident was very regrettable and the highest form of criminality by UPDF. He said the army would seek justice.

Gladys Oroma, Uganda-CAN news correspondent, reports that the Ugandan government has not compensated 21 state-tortured victims in northern Uganda since the Uganda Human Rights Commission Tribunal awarded them compensation in 2004. The victims dragged the government to the commission accusing state agents - UPDF, CMI, ISO, ESO, Uganda police and prisons - of torture. The UHRC investigated the human right abuses cases, carried out tribunal hearings and made rulings in favour of the tortured victims. However, to date the victims have not received any financial compensation from the state. Most of the victims are now living in internally-displaced people's camps and have no money to hire lawyers to follow up their compensations.