Refugees International: Articles: Northern Uganda: Urgent Measures Needed to Address the LRA Threat to Regional Peace and Security

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Northern Uganda: Urgent Measures Needed to Address the LRA Threat to Regional Peace and Security

Uganda 2004:
04/26/2006

Contact: Michelle Brown
ri@refintl.org or 202-828-0110

Refugees International's UN Representative, Michelle Brown, was asked to testify before the House International Relations Committee Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights, and International Operations on the situation in northern Uganda. Below is a brief summary of her testimony.

Download a .pdf of the entire Congressional testimony here.

Statement of Michelle Brown on US Engagement in Northern Uganda

Good afternoon. My name is Michelle Brown and I visited northern Uganda in February on behalf of Refugees International.

The response by the international community and the Government of Uganda to the crisis in northern Uganda continues to fail. Furthermore, the United States has contributed to the current situation by neglecting the severity of the conflict.

The Government of Uganda has the primary responsibility to assist and protect civilians inside the country who have been displaced from their homes, but it has been unable to fulfill this responsibility. Up to two million people in northern Uganda are living in camps at risk of violence and without access to basic services, and as a result almost 1,000 people are dying a week. Given the horrific conditions, Refugees International is especially concerned by government threats to expel outspoken humanitarian agencies. As one of Uganda’s larger donors and as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, the U.S. has an important role to play in protecting Ugandan civilians and ensuring that the victims of this conflict have enough food, water, and health care.

Without greater international pressure and engagement, there is no end in sight to this war. Despite the Government of Uganda’s statements that the Ugandan military has defeated the Lord’s Resistance Army, the rebel group is still very much active in northern Uganda, although attacks on civilians have decreased. At the same time, attacks on civilians in southern Sudan have increased. The LRA now poses a significant threat to regional peace and security and could undermine fledgling peace agreements in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mediation efforts are stalled, and it is unclear whether the LRA or the Government of Uganda is committed to a dialogue process. Until the war is over, up to two million people in the north are condemned to a life of terror and poverty in camps for displaced people.

This is a dire description of the situation. But the U.S. government and the United Nations can and should take clear steps to assist the people of northern Uganda and to end this war.

The Government of Uganda has announced that it will strengthen its efforts to protect its people and provide them with the services they need, as well as develop a comprehensive approach to ending the conflict. We welcome the Government’s leadership. The United States and other key nations must hold the Government accountable for fulfilling its responsibilities by ensuring that the Government meets clear, measurable and time-bound benchmarks and that living conditions for the displaced improve. This process should not be a substitute for Security Council engagement.

In recent months, the UN Security Council has become more engaged in looking at the LRA as a regional threat. We urge the United States play a leadership role in the Security Council on the issue of the LRA in northern Uganda and the region.

The US must increase its engagement on northern Uganda. Politically and diplomatically, the US should:

Stress the importance to the Government of Uganda of reaching a political settlement to the conflict, and provide high-level support to the effort. The US should hold the Government of Uganda accountable through the Joint Monitoring Committee.
Request the Secretary General to appoint a high-level UN Regional Envoy who can facilitate political initiatives to deal with the conflict.
Support the appointment of a UN Panel of Experts to investigate the sources of support for the LRA.
Support the strengthening of the UN peacekeeping missions in the Sudan and the Congo to ensure that they have the resources to protect civilians from the LRA. The US should share intelligence with the UN to promote effective civilian protection.

To improve the lives of civilians in northern Uganda, the US should:

Allocate the necessary resources to U.S. AID to increase support to displaced persons and continue to fund NGOs and the UN to provide humanitarian assistance.
Support comprehensive disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration programs that emphasize community-based initiatives.
Support peacebuilding and reconciliation programs at local, regional and national levels to stem the cycle of violence.

These recommendations provide the United States government with a number of opportunities to bring peace to a troubled region and save thousands of lives. It is morally and politically imperative that we take these steps now. Thank you.

Download a .pdf of the entire Congressional testimony

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