Kampala — Hundreds of thousands of men, women and children who suffered abuses during the 20-year conflict in Northern Uganda remain destitute and traumatized due to government failure to set up a comprehensive reparation programme, Amnesty International has said.
The international human rights organization released a report on Monday examining the continued suffering of the victims of northern Uganda's brutal conflict, and made recommendations to the government on how to deal with the aftermath of the human rights violations that took place there.
Thousands were killed, abducted, raped or beaten by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) during the conflict. Human rights violations, including unlawful killings, sexual violence and torture were also committed by government forces. There was general impunity for soldiers who committed human rights violations against civilians, and about 1.8 million people were displaced from their homes.
"Thousands of Ugandans still bear the physical and mental scars of the abuses they suffered," said Godfrey Odongo, Amnesty's Uganda specialist. "They are unable to go forward with their lives. They desperately need government assistance to help them come to terms with the ordeals they survived and rebuild their lives - assistance that sadly has not been forthcoming."
In September 2007, the Ugandan government unveiled a three-year Peace, Recovery and Development Plan (PRDP) - but this plan does not specifically address the reparation needs of the victims of the conflict, according to Amnesty.
The agreements signed between the government and the LRA under the peace process attempt to lay a framework for reparations, but fall far short of a comprehensive reparations programme and contain significant flaws - including a lack of provision for consultation with victims. It also remains unclear if and when the government will implement the agreements.
"What is needed is an effective programme that is victim-focused and a comprehensive reparations programme that addresses the continued suffering of victims of human rights violations," said Odongo.
In its report, Amnesty highlights the plight of women and girls who were victims of sexual violence. Young men and boys were forced to become soldiers. The report also documents people who were unable to recover because of lack of access to money and medical care.
The conflict in northern Uganda between government forces and the LRA lasted over two decades from 1986. There has been a lull since the start of a peace process in 2006.
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Africa Unite! Your most precious resource are your children! They are the future and hope of all of Africa. At this moment in their young lives they should be fill with hopes and dreams of a future without limits. Africa is rich in natural recources but the most important and precious of these are the children. The leaders of Africa should be ashamed of themselves. The lack of leadership is appauling. They dress up in there finey and act all stately but have the brains of a pig, they are sloppy and messy. The generations to come will be hurt unless someone with the nerve to take charge to secure the future for these children. The need is so great. First there must be laws that severely punish anyone who hurts a child in anyway. Crimes of rape, child soliders, mutilation, left destitute should be punished with death.. Take care of your future the youth.
The Gate Keeper