Journal

Children of Uganda (Invisible Children)

History

Alice Lakwena's Holy Spirit Movement is the beginnings of the problems in Uganda. Lakwena moves to "purify" the society of Acholi (a tribe in northern Uganda) and to liberate the north from the control of the National Resistance Army - a group that gained control of Uganda through a military coup in 1986. She claimed to be a spiritual messenger with mystical powers. Her most well-known claim is that be using oil to paint to cross on various parts of the body, her soldiers would be impervious to enemy bullets. It didn't work. After a series of battles, the movement was defeated. Severino Lukoya, Alice Lakwena's father, continued to fight, also claiming to be a spiritual messenger, but lack of support quickly dissolved the attempt.

After the Holy Spirit Movement fell through, Joseph Kony took power in a similar way. Originally a Catholic preacher and teacher, Kony asserted himself as a spiritual messenger and a cousin of Lakwena. Originally a part of the Uganda People's Democratic Army (UPDA) - a group that formed to defend the north from the NRA, - Kony split off to form the Uganda People's Democratic Christian Army. The name was later changed to Uganda Christian Democratic Army, and finally to the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in 1991. The group started attacking local civilians after receiving little to no support. Their current objective is unclear.

Attacks have continued since, starting with small plundering and kidnappings, the situation has turned into large raids and an army of conscripted children. Children from all over walk miles to the nearest city to sleep for the night, afraid of being kidnapped and forced into the LRA otherwise. Once the LRA has a group of children (anywhere from 8-15 years of age) they kill and/or torture one to make an example. Their fear tactics and brainwashing have built them an army of children. Rape, pillaging villages, and outright murder are common knowledge among the people of Uganda due to the terrorism from the LRA. Any children who have escaped, escaped with nothing. Most likely, they have one outfit, a blanket, and a day's worth of food, if that. They have little chance at schooling, and that they do get it a precious commodity. Relief measures have been taken, but it is not enough.










Current Situation

Both sides have agreed on how to proceed with war-crimes committed by both sides of the conflict. The higher-ranking officers will be tried in a special court set up especially for dealing with war crimes, while lesser crimes will proceed as usual in normal courts. Another option for lesser crimes is the Acholi restitution ritual. To come to the point of trials and restitution, however, peace must come first.

Peace talks have continued on and off since the mid-1990's, but a long-term resolution has yet to be found. In April, Kony was scheduled to meet with representatives of the Ugandan government to sign the final portion of a three-part peace agreement between the two sides. He never showed. Instead, he sent a messenger stating that he needed more time to think about the charges the World Court has brought up against him, as well as to consult the elders about his curse of action. David Nyekorach-Matsanga, Joseph Kony's negotiator quit after Kony failed to show, an act which has occurred several times over throughout the years. How things will go from here remains uncertain.










Statistics

* Up to 58% of all health facilities are not functional
* Average life expectancy is 49.7 yrs
* 19% of the population is undernourished
* Average literacy is 66.8%
* 8 doctors per 100,000 people
* 1.7 million people (80% of the region) displaced people or people who live in dislocation camps for safety
_____these are squalid camps lacking access to basic resources
_____most of the people in these camps are children under the age of 15 yrs.
_____about 1,000 people a day die due to the conditions of the camps
_____~40,000 children (per camp) commute up to two hours to sleep in the streets to avoid being abducted
* As many as 66,000 children have been abducted and turned into soldiers or sex slaves
_____abducted children endure brutal initiations, such as being forced to kill family members or other abductees
* Child soldiers make up more than 80% of the LRA's manpower



How You Can Help

Tell your friends, tell your family, and get involved. Every little bit counts. Whether its a couple dollars or a couple voices getting the word out, you can help make a difference.
Go to http://www.invisiblechildren.com to learn more about what you can do to help. Child soldiering is never acceptable, make some noise - make a difference.



Links

http://www.resolveuganda.org
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1735049,00.html
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/uganda/index.html?8qa&scp=1-spot&sq=uganda&st=nyt

INVISIBLE CHILDREN - The Uganda Crisis