Uganda Rising
Canada, 2006
80 Minutes
Directed by Jesse James Miller and Pete McCormack
Produced by Alison Lawton
The three biggest and longest lasting conflicts on the African continent are the conflicts in the Sudan, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the 20-year conflict in northern Uganda. Uganda Rising tells the story of what has been called the world's "biggest hostage crisis", where more than 2 million Acholi living in northern Uganda have been held hostage and terrorized for the past 20 years by a group of rebels known as the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), led by their spiritual and military leader Joseph Kony.
Uganda Rising is to date one of the best documentaries on the conflict in northern Uganda. The film does an excellent job of portraying the background to the conflict, showing the roots and manipulations of ethnic tensions in Uganda from the colonial era to the present day. The filmmakers provide accurate statistics on the impacts of the conflict. The analysis is well rounded and examines the multiple sides of the conflict, indicting both the LRA and the Ugandan government for their role in the conflict. The film also covers almost every aspect of the conflict, from the abduction of children, the forced round-ups of the Acholi into IDP (internally displaced persons) camps, and the plight of the child night commuters. The film examines the colonial divisions of Africa and shows how the division of ethnic groups and the management of national regions aided to some of Africa's worst conflicts. The filmmakers also look at the regimes of Ugandan Presidents Milton Obote, Idi Amin, and Yoweri Museveni and how each dealt with the ethnic tensions in the country. Also examined is the role of neighboring countries in Uganda's civil war, namely the Sudan's funding of the LRA. The film also examines the religious ideologies fueling Joseph Kony and the LRA and how these rebels turned on their own people, praying on the residents of northern Uganda and southern Sudan. Like Rwanda and West Africa, the filmmakers show how the Acholi also have traditional ceremonies of reconciliation and conflict resolution that have been used to ease the transition of returning ex-LRA combatants into the Acholi community.
The images in the film may unease the squeamish. The killings, mutilations, and rapes of the Acholi are shown in a manner that reflects their brutality. The stories told by Acholi children are heartbreaking, but will hopefully spur an interest in a 20-year conflict that has thus far not received the attention it deserves. In addition to the stories of the Acholi themselves, the filmmakers were able to interview some of the most prominent figures in the fight to end the conflict, including Betty Bigombe, Ugandan activist and chief peace negotiator between the LRA and the Ugandan government. Mahmood Mamdani, world renowned Ugandan scholar, was also interviewed, providing a scholarly analysis of the conflict.
Uganda Rising is an excellent resource for activists, scholars, and educators. In addition to telling the story of Uganda and the Acholi, the film also infuses historical information on the African region to give one a better understanding of what is happening in northern Uganda.
The only drawback of the film is that one should be at least familiar with the history and relevant events on the continent or one may get lost on some of the film's finer points. Even without being familiar with Africa, however, one will still come away with an understanding of the conflict and its devastation. One other criticism is that while the Ugandan government was criticized for its role in fueling the conflict, little mention was made of the human rights abuses committed by the Ugandan Peoples Defense Forces (UPDF) who are supposed to be guarding the IDP camps.
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Overall, I highly recommend this film. The images, stories, and facts that are presented in the film honestly reflect the situation on the ground. The filmmakers have also included organizations that are working on and in Uganda for those who will surely want to know how they can get involved in efforts to end the conflict.
Msia Kibona Clark, PhD is the Ugandan Country Specialist for Amnesty International and a book, film, & music reviewer for AllAfrica.com.
