African Church Information Service
Crespo Sebunya
22 July 2002
Kampala — The escalating social upheaval caused by intensification of conflict in Northern Uganda has resulted into one million displaced persons according to Edward Carlon, Deputy World Food Programme representative.
The number represents a 100 percent jump from the January figure of 500,000 given by the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Agency. The development has added pressure to government to drop military option against rebels of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).
LRA has spread operations in eight districts in northern Uganda, burning settlements, attempting to disband the internally displaced camps and closing off roads ever since 500 rebels crossed into Uganda from Sudan in May.
To date 11 districts out of 18 districts are insecure, forcing governments of Ireland, UK, US and German to warn its citizens against travelling into the region.
The deteriorating situation has led to suspension of the US$ 100m World Bank led development programme for the region known as Northern Uganda Social Action Fund.
Carlon says WFP has supplied 110 tonnes of maize and will soon mobilise 23,000 tonnes of relief under a new emergency relief programme.
Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) spokesman, Major Shaban Bantaliza, says initial attempt of establishing detaches every after 3km in the region, has failed because of inadequate number of troops. Fourth division has 12,000 troops of which 10,000 are in Southern Sudan.
The security vacuum is exploited by LRA to dare UPDF. On July 12 at Gulu-gulu location in Gulu district, five skirmishes with LRA resulted in deaths of 11 soldiers including a Major Segawa.
However, Shaban Bantaliza says UPDF has been reorganising its strategy and the plan resulted in the killing of 30 rebels and the capture of 27 light machine guns and Rocket Propelled Grenades on July14 at Agoro in Kitgum district. This time 500 UPDF troops were mobilised to counter 100 rebels.
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