{UAH} IDDI AMIN NEVER TARGETED LANGIs/ACHOLIs, THEY TARGETED HIM {---Series eighty three }

Friends

 

Justine Nannyonjo of United Nation University followed the Acholi violence and its net cost to Northerners, by writing a research paper No. 2005/47. "Conflicts, Poverty and Human Development in Northern Uganda. We are posting from page 6.

 

Ugandans, we need to start discussing Acholi violence but candidly.

 

3.3 Abductions

The LRA has abducted over 40,000 civilians; it is estimated that at least 25,000 are

children, the main target of the armed conflict (Human Rights Watch 2003;

UNICEF 2004; Liu Institute for Global Studies 2003) to be exploited as front-line

soldiers, forced labour or forced to carry out extreme forms of punishment, such as

killing fellow child captives trying to escape. Many are still believed to be in captivity,

others have died in battle or from mistreatment, disease and hunger. Girls are coerced

into sexual slavery to become the 'wives' of LRA commanders and subjected to rape,

unwanted pregnancies, and sexually transmitted diseases.

Fearing abduction, every evening about 40,000 children in northern Uganda (the 'night

commuters') pour into towns where they seek sanctuary under poor conditions in

hospitals, schools, or mission grounds; they return home in the morning. No official

assistance is provided to these children, and they can be abused as they make the nightly

treks between home and shelter.

 

3.4 Access to education

With the destruction of schools, looting of supplies and shortage of teachers, education

in northern Uganda has been severely affected by conflict. Schools have been closed or

relocated, and those still operating have been forced to limit their teaching times to

those considered to be safe for children to attend (10 am to 3 pm). Many are not

attending school for fear of LRA killings and abductions while others, teachers

included, have moved to more secure districts where they add to the congestion of the

towns. This has created shortages of shelter for teachers and students, scholastic

materials, classrooms, drugs, water and sanitation, and recreation facilities.

In addition, the learning and effective participation of children in the classroom is

affected by their traumatic experiences. Moreover, universal primary education is not

matched to the curriculum needs of traumatized or displaced children. The skills of

teachers in particular are limited for coping with these children. Traditional support

mechanisms have been greatly weakened and efforts at school-based counselling are

easily eroded by other community factors such as lack of shelter, abuse and poverty

(UN 2003b: 69). As Table 2 indicates, the quality of education in the affected districts is

generally lower than the national average. For example Pader has a pupil-to-classroom

ratio of 151, a pupil-to-teacher ratio of 80, a 41 per cent failure rate of examinations for

leaving primary school and a 6.3 per cent dropout rate. These are much higher than the

national averages of 87, 52, 26 and 4.5 per cent, respectively. Limited access to quality

education denies children their basic human right, and restricts their future involvement

in mainstream economic and social life, also compromising the overall development

prospects of the country.

 

3.5 Water and sanitation

The forced resettlement of people into camps in an effort to protect the population has

resulted in overcrowding and woefully inadequate basic facilities, including water and

sanitation. Latrine coverage is estimated at over 145 persons per latrine stance as

compared to the standard of 20 persons per stance, for emergency situations.

Availability of water from non-rain water sources is currently at 4-12 litres per person

per day when the emergency standard is 15 litres (UN 2003b: 42). This situation is

particularly acute in Pader, Lira and in areas of Teso and Soroti where a growing

number of displaced people are living in newly established camps where water and

sanitation facilities are still being developed.

 

3.6 Heath and nutrition

Health services in the affected areas are faced with shortages of drugs, health workers,

food supplements, medical equipment and infrastructure. Consequently, the health and

nutrition conditions of the conflict areas are said to be very poor in comparison to the

rest of the country. For example, BCG immunization rates in the districts of Kitgum and

Pader fell almost by half over the period 2001-03 (Table 3) while the national average

increased from 90 to 96 per cent. Infant mortality stands at 290 per 1,000 for Gulu, and

274 per 1,000 births each for Kitgum and Pader. The national average is 88 per 1,000. In

Kitgum and Pader in 2002 there were on average 70 and 68 health centres per one

million people, respectively, compared to the national average of 124.

Malnutrition is acute in the affected areas because of food insecurity, and is considered

to be the underlying cause of death at present, although parents also report cases of

diarrhoea, fever and respiratory infections. For example, assessments in the IDP camps

of Gulu and Kitgum indicate that the malnutrition rates of children under-five are 31.6

per cent and 12.5 per cent, respectively (UN 2003b: 36).

Although the overall prevalence of HIV in Uganda has reportedly declined substantially

in recent years from its previous peak, this is a considerable problem for northern

Uganda. An antenatal site (Lacor hospital) in Gulu district registered 11.9 per cent, the

highest HIV prevalence among pregnant women in 2002, compared with 10.8 per cent

for the western region, 8.5 per cent for the central region and 6.3 per cent for the east

(Figure 2). Several factors are seen as causing the spread of HIV/AIDS in the north: (i)

disruption of the cultural and social system so that children lack proper parental

instruction; (ii) increased sexual activity due to over-crowding in camps and

redundancies from jobs; (iii) rape, sexual abuse and exploitation of girls and young

women; and (iv) lack of concern over health issues resulting from traumatized

experiences (Human Rights Watch 2003). It is therefore essential to increase awareness

among the IDPs to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDs in the camps.

 

3.7 Decline in the social and cultural structure of society

The conflict situation has led to a breakdown of social and cultural values in northern

Uganda. Displacement and resettlement in camps caused a degeneration in social values

and order, resulting in such behavioural changes as neglected responsibilities, increased

crime rates, high rates of alcohol and drug consumption, and lack of respect for

traditional values. Separation, orphanhood and increased domestic violence have

disrupted the family structure (UN 1999).

 

3.8 Poverty and human development

Northern Uganda lags behind the rest of the country in terms of human development.

The insecurity of the north has led to gross human right violations, loss of productive

assets of the poor, retarded economic activity, and restricted access to social services

and markets. The human development index (HDI) for northern Uganda in 2001 was

0.350, which is lower than 0.449, the national average, or 0.552 for the central district,

for example (UNDP 2002). The region has also persistently had the highest incidence of

poverty at an average of 66 per cent over the last ten years (Table 4). This is much

higher than the national average of 46 per cent or that of the other districts.

 

Stay in the forum for Series eighty-four on the way   ------>

 

EM

On the 49^th Parallel          

                 Thé Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja and Dr. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda is in anarchy"
                    Kuungana Mulindwa Mawasiliano Kikundi
"Pamoja na Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja na Dk. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda ni katika machafuko"