Over 710 IDP homes have burned to the ground this month, depriving 7,500 people of their homes and belongings. The dry season in northern Uganda, from December to March, brings with it strong winds, hot sun and little precipitation. IDP camps in northern Uganda are notoriously crowded, with the thatched roofs of neighboring homes often touching. Consequently, small fires often spread quickly and can engulf entire camps. Read more at The Monitor.

Refugees International has put out a new press statement, calling on the Government of Uganda to live up to its protection responsibilities in northern Uganda. They write, "While movement out of the overcrowded camps, which have been notorious for squalid living conditions, human rights abuses, sexual exploitation and a general lack of protection for the displaced, is a positive one, the Government of Uganda must use this moment of peace to strengthen government efforts to protect their citizens."

They continue, "While the UPDF’s attention to reform is laudable, there still remain considerable concerns. Some UPDF commanders have become draconian in responding to reports of soldiers abusing IDPs and have carried out immediate executions with no appeals process for the accused. But the top commanders themselves are exempt from discipline and allowed to act with impunity. RI received reports that commanders of units carrying out the worst violations were simply transferred to other posts where presumably the abuses will continue. It is imperative that the Government of Uganda ensure that the military obey international and domestic laws and respect the rights of the displaced in northern Uganda." In response, RI urges increased and strengthened police presence in northern Uganda. Read the full statement at ReliefWeb.

Results of nationwide O’level test scores for 2006 reveal that students from war-torn regions in northern Uganda and Karamoja performed significantly worse than their counterparts in central and western Uganda. The results, released by the Uganda National Examinations Board, are further proof that even the relative security created by the ongoing Juba peace talks is no substitute for lasting peace and sustained investment in recovery and development in the north and east. Read more at The New Vision.

The improved security brought about by the Juba peace talks has led to improved humanitarian access to IDP camps in northern Uganda and the return of 300,000 IDPs to their homes. Although much attention has been placed on hopes that the Juba talks can bring peace to northern Uganda and allow IDPs to return to their homes, the LRA conflict is not the only cause of displacement in northern Uganda. Over the past several months Pader district has seen an increase in raids by warriors from Karamoja, the region to the the east of northern Uganda. Many residents of Pader have had cattle stolen or been sexually abused during the raids, and fear that continued raids could force IDPs to stay in camps even if a lasting peace deal is signed between the LRA and Ugandan government. Read more at The Monitor.

Insecurity within Karmoja, caused by the proliferation of arms and the government’s controversial forcible disarmament programme, has also intensified in recent months. Two weeks ago two women were killed by UPDF soldiers in a ‘cordon and search’ operation, a primary facet in the disarmament programme which has been denounced by UN human rights chief Louis Arbour as prone to "indiscriminate and excessive" use of force. Read more at The Monitor.

The deployment of 2,000 police constables to northern Uganda has been slowed because they have not been provided with sufficient funding and accommodations. Strengthening the civilian police force in northern Uganda is crucial restoring law and order, protecting civilians and providing an alternative to the Ugandan military, whose record in northern Uganda is rife with human rights abuses. Read more at The Monitor.

As this and other reports of mismanagement of development and reconstruction initiatives in northern Uganda accumulate, many IDPs are also returning to camps, fearing that a collapse of the Juba peace talks could lead to renewed insecurity. Despite these obvious signs that the Ugandan government’s commitment to the development and security of northern Uganda is needed now more than ever, the Ugandan military is preparing to commit 1,400 soldiers to a peacekeeping mission in Somalia. The question must be raised - does the Ugandan government have its priorities straight?