{UAH} IDDI AMIN NEVER TARGETED LANGIs/ACHOLIs, THEY TARGETED HIM {---Series One-Hundred and thirty eight}

Friends

 

As we continue with the Acholi violence, and dealing with our educated elites, as Ugandans we must sit down and  contemplate on the net effects of their actions since they returned from Tanzania.  There are classifications that I never saw Uganda lined up  when Amin was the president, yet today we have a first seat in every classification.  The second highest thing taking money from donors towards Uganda after humanitarian AID,  is to study Acholi violence. Uganda has been listed as a very drunkard country. We are listed as corrupt country. We have the most women in UK jails. We are now listed by Isis-Women's International Cross-Cultural Exchange as a country way high in raping women during wars, and they specifically list Kitgum. Listen to this, in South Sudan they rape 2.2%, Uganda {Northern Uganda} 28.8%  and Liberia 62%. Ugandans we never had these numbers till when the degree holders took the mantle of leading our country. "War Related Sexual Violence in Africa: Medical and psychological consequences on Women and girls"

 

We need to discuss Acholi violence candidly

 

Psychological consequences

Psychological consequences of war related sexual violence

include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders

including phobias, psychosomatic symptoms, psychogenic pain,

conversion-dissociative disorder, major depressive disorder,

self-injurious behavior including suicidality, alcohol and

substance abuse and altered self-image and view of the world

[9,11,12].

 

Isis-WICCE Research findings

Over the last 13 years, Isis-WICCE an International women's

organization based in Uganda has been involved in systematic

documentation of women's experiences in war, including the

reproductive and psychological consequences of war sexual

violence [14-21]. This work was initially undertaken in Uganda

but has now been extended to Southern Sudan and Liberia. In

undertaking this documentation, Isis-WICCE has worked with

medical professional bodies in the participating countries.

Most of the research findings have been obtained through field

research and from women accessing the services of emergency

short term medical interventions that Isis-WICCE has carried

out in war affected communities.

 

Prevalence of war related sexual violence

The research findings noted that sexual violence was a common

form of war torture practiced in all the war affected communities.

The prevalence of sexual violence among women varied from

2.2% in Southern Sudan, 28.6% in Kitgum, Northern Uganda

and the highest rate of 62.5% in Liberia [18-20]. In Southern

Sudan, while only 2.2% of the women reported having suffered

rape, 41.9% reported having witnessed the rape of someone

[19]. This however reflects underreporting of one's personal

experience of rape which could be attributed to intense stigma

attached to rape as observed by one key informant from the

Southern Sudan report:

 

"We witnessed and saw with our own eyes our own women

being sexually abused. All the warring groups including the

government were responsible, though senior officers used to

prevent these activities." [20].

Nature of sexual violence

 

Sexual violence in these studies took on many forms, and

included: single episode rape, gang rape, attempted rape,

forced marriage, abduction with sex, defilement, incest, and

forceful insertion of objects into the vagina, sexual comforting

and witnessing the rape of others [14-21].

There were however local variations to these sexual violence

experiences ranging from serial gang rape and single episode

rape, with dire consequences of trauma on the victims as

illustrated:

 

"I was 30 years old and married when I was gang raped….. first

by six soldiers who found me hiding and they raped me one after

another starting with their commander. This lasted three hours.

The last one closed my legs and barked at me. I could not even

talk nor walk. My relatives discovered me later soaked in blood,

urine faeces and semen….. Weeks later I was again gang raped

at a military checkpoint by 15 soldiers …" [14].

 

Many family members testified of the trauma they experienced

as they were used as objects on which to rape the women as

clearly illustrated in the "mattress rape" from South Sudan:

 

"We witnessed cases (of rape) when men were used as

mattresses. A man would be told to sleep down on the floor

while facing up, and then his wife would be laid on top of him

and systematically raped by the army". [19].

 

The long term implication of violations of women's bodily

integrity increases their vulnerability and exposes them to

social economic hardships:

 

Violation of women's bodily integrity

 

Women survivors testified about the harm done to their

reproductive health systems thereby increasing their suffering

and trauma. A respondent from Liberia shared her experience:

 

"..After the rape, I started bleeding heavily and my back still

hurts.. My bladder was affected and I could not hold pupu

(faeces). Up to now, I feel like urinating anytime and if I delay

for some seconds, the urine can come out uncontrollably…

Sometimes I can delay to go into my periods. At times I can

delay for seven days or even spend three months without

menstruating. In fact the doctors told me I cannot give birth

again because my womb was spoilt..." [19].

 

The breakdown of health facilities and services during war has

also subjected many women and girls to reproductive health

complications that for medical practitioners will take long to

heal. An attending gynecologist narrated his experiences of

women war survivors of Teso region, Eastern Uganda:

 

"A 32 old woman who sustained a genital tear in the late 1980's

during the insurgency. In her first pregnancy, the labor pains

started at night and she could not go to the health centre because

of fear of the rebels. She delivered at home assisted by a nearby

traditional birth attendant. The baby was big. This caused a

tear in her birth canal communicating with the anal canal (third

degree tear). Initially, she could not control faeces….." [16].

Psychological consequences of sexual violence

 

The most severe and long lasting yet invisible consequences of

war sexual violence are the psychological complications. These

range from the immediate aftereffects of sexual violence which

include acute stress reactions and adjustment disorders to the

longer lasting post-traumatic stress disorders. Others include

depression, alcohol abuse disorder, suicidality, conversion dissociative

disorders and various other anxiety disorders. In

most of the Isis-WICCE studies, up to 60% of the respondents

had significant psychological distress scores suggestive mental

disorders [14-21] as indicated by the survivors from Uganda:

 

"I was tortured, raped, beaten and my son and husband killed.

My home was destroyed, -everything. I have suffered too much.

Now I hear of war coming from Congo. Well, I have my poison

capsules ready. If they approach my village, I will swallow them

and die. I can't live through more war". [14].

"…Another problem that I have seen common with many people

and even with me is that when I hear a gunshot, I get diarrhea

straightaway and my heartbeat increases. Sometimes I even

collapse, and this just comes from nowhere. It just happens. And

when the gunshots continue, my chest just goes on pounding.

It is happening to me even right now. I never used to have this

problem in the past.. it is the gun that I think has caused this

problem because every time I hear a gunshot, my stomach

becomes hot, makes noise and I get diarrhea. I even faint, and

my body remains shaking for some time." [18].

Inability to engage in economic activity

 

The various Isis-WICCE studies observed a negative impact on

economic productivity due to these medical consequences of

war related sexual violence. In Kitgum, Uganda, (2006), 30% of

the women with gynecological complaints reported that these

problems were interfering 'a lot' with their ability to work [18].

In Liberia (2008), 69% of those with significant psychological

distress reported that the psychological symptoms were

affecting their ability to work [20], with serious consequences

on their livelihoods as below:

 

"The armed conflict in Liberia seriously eroded the population's

ability to rehabilitate their livelihoods. With farming as the

only form of occupation for most of the population, and given

the inadequacy of supply of agricultural inputs and planting

materials, there has been a rise in unemployment for all and

increase of the production burden for women".

 

This reflects a carry forward of the situation from the war time

period as one female survivor testified:

 

"...in 2001, MODEL (Movement for the Democracy in Liberia)

rebels came while I was in Pleebo town and I left with my

children…. While in Grand Kru county, my husband abandoned

me… I started loving an LPC (Liberia Peace Council) rebel. He

and I had 4 children and when I was pregnant with the fifth

child, my rebel husband got killed. Right now, I am selling fish

while children are selling wood in order to earn a living..." [20].

 

Therefore, attaining the highest level of health is not only

a fundamental human right for women but it is also a social

and economic imperative. Hence, addressing the reproductive

health consequences of war sexual violence is important to

ensure that women and girls are active and participate in peace

building and post conflict reconstruction processes.

 

Conclusion:

War sexual violence continues unabated in Africa. This is having

a heavy toll on the health of women and girls, not only causing

reproductive health problems and crippling psychological pain,

but also having a negative impact on their socio-economic

status. Unfortunately, most peace building and rehabilitation

programmes for conflict and post-conflict communities in

Africa tend to pay lip service to addressing women and girls

reproductive and psychological health concerns.

 

Recommendation:

• African heads of state, having signed the UNSCR 1325 and 1820 should as a matter of urgency address needs of women in war

and post conflict situations, and more importantly put in place comprehensive and multidisciplinary health systems to address

the reproductive health and psychological concerns that result from conflict.

• Governments in Africa must commit themselves to stopping all acts of war related violence on women's bodily integrity in line

with the principle of Gender Equality enshrined in Article (4L) of the AU All Constitutive Act.

• The African Union should hold accountable those governments where these acts are taking place indiscriminately.

• African leaders should apply the principles which they have committed themselves to regarding fighting impunity on the

continent, as well as ensuring that the rights of women and girls are upheld.

• The Peace and Security Council of the African Union must include under its mandate the prevention of war sexual violence and

enable proper planning and protection of women and girls in war and conflict areas on the Continent.

 

References:

1. American Psychiatric Association, 1995. F43.1 Posttraumatic stress disorder. In: Diagnostic and Statistical manual of mental disorders, Fourth Edition,

Washington, 435-440.

2. Amnesty International, 2011. Sexual violence and other human rights abuses must stop, Amnesty International, Cote d'Ivoire, http://allafrica.com./

stories/201102230889.html.

3. Isis-WICCE, 2008. A situational analysis of the women survivors of the 1989-2003 armed conflict in Liberia, Isis-WICCE, Kampala, Uganda.

4. Isis-WICCE, 2002. Documentation of Teso women's experiences of armed conflict 1987-2001, Isis-WICCE, Kampala, Uganda.

5. Isis-WICCE, 2001. Medical interventional study of war affected Gulu district, Isis-WICCE, Kampala, Uganda.

6. Isis-WICCE, 2006. Medical interventional study of war affected Kitgum district, Isis-WICCE, Kampala, Uganda.

7. sis-WICCE, 2002. Medical interventional study of war affected Teso region, Isis-WICCE, Kampala, Uganda.

8. Isis-WICCE, 1999. The short term intervention on the psychological and gynecological consequences of armed conflict in Luweero district, Part 2, Kampala,

Uganda.

9. Isis-WICCE, 2007. Women's experiences during armed conflict in Southern Sudan, 1983-2005: The case of Juba County, Central Equatoria State, Isis-WICCE,

Kampala, Uganda.

10. Johnson K. et al, 2008. Association of combatant status and sexual violence with health and mental health outcomes in post conflict Liberia, Journal of

American Medical Association (JAMA), Downloaded from jama.ama-assn.org, 18/03/2011, 300; 6: page 676-690.

11. Joachim I, 2005. Sexualised violence in war and its consequences. In: Violence against women in war: Handbook for professionals working with traumatized

women. Edited by Medica Mondiale. Cologne, Medica Mondiale, 63-110

12. Kinyanda E, et al, 2010. War related sexual violence and its medical and psychological consequences as seen in Kitgum, Northern Uganda: A cross-sectional

study. BMC Int Health Human Rights; 10(1): 28 doi: 10.1186/1472-698X-10-28.

13. Liebling-Kalifani H, et al, 2008. Violence against women in Northern Uganda: The neglected health consequences of war. JIWS, , 9: 174-191

14. Longombe A O, Claude KM, Ruminjo J, 2008: Fistula and traumatic genital injury from sexual violence in a conflict setting in Eastern Congo: Case studies. RHM,

16(31): 132-141.

15. Lunde I, Ortmann J, 1998. Sexual torture and the treatment of its consequences. In: Torture and its consequences – current treatment approaches. Edited by

Basoglu M. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 310-329

16. Physicians for Human Rights:, 2002. War-related sexual violence in Sierra Leone: A population based assessment. http:// physiciansforhumanrights.org

17. Skylv G, 1998. The physical sequelae of torture. In: Torture and its consequences – current treatment approaches. Edited by Basoglu M. Cambridge, Cambridge

University Press, 38-55.

18. TPO Uganda, 2010. Psychological effects of war: A factor to high risk sexual behavior, TPO, Uganda, Kampala.

19. United Nations, 2008. Resolution 1820 (2008) Adopted by the Security Council at 5916th meeting, on 19th June 2008. S/RES/1820.

20. Ward J, Marsh M, 2006. Sexual violence against women and girls in war and its aftermath: Realities, responses and required resources. In: Proceedings of the

Symposium on sexual violence in conflict and beyond, Brussels, Belgium; 21-23 June 2006

 

 

Stay in the forum for Series One hundred and thirty nine 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"