UGANDA: Uncertain peace process impedes return in north while protection crisis looms in Karamoja region A profile of the internal displacement situation 28 March, 2007 This Internal Displacement Profile is automatically generated from the online IDP database of the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). It includes an overview of the internal displacement situation in the country prepared by the IDMC, followed by a compilation of excerpts from relevant reports by a variety of different sources. All headlines as well as the bullet point summaries at the beginning of each chapter were added by the IDMC to facilitate navigation through the Profile. Where dates in brackets are added to headlines, they indicate the publication date of the most recent source used in the respective chapter. The views expressed in the reports compiled in this Profile are not necessarily shared by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre. The Profile is also available online at www.internal-displacement.org. About the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, established in 1998 by the Norwegian Refugee Council, is the leading international body monitoring conflict-induced internal displacement worldwide. Through its work, the Centre contributes to improving national and international capacities to protect and assist the millions of people around the globe who have been displaced within their own country as a result of conflicts or human rights violations. At the request of the United Nations, the Geneva-based Centre runs an online database providing comprehensive information and analysis on internal displacement in some 50 countries. Based on its monitoring and data collection activities, the Centre advocates for durable solutions to the plight of the internally displaced in line with international standards. The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre also carries out training activities to enhance the capacity of local actors to respond to the needs of internally displaced people. In its work, the Centre cooperates with and provides support to local and national civil society initiatives. For more information, visit the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre website and the database at www.internal-displacement.org. Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre Norwegian Refugee Council Chemin de Balexert 7-9 1219 Geneva, Switzerland Tel.: +41 22 799 07 00 [email protected] www.internal-displacement.org 2 CONTENTS CONTENTS 3 OVERVIEW 11 UNCERTAIN PEACE PROCESS IMPEDES RETURN IN NORTH WHILE PROTECTION CRISIS LOOMS IN KARAMOJA REGION 11 CAUSES AND BACKGROUND 20 BACKGROUND 20 HISTORY OF THE CONFLICT (DECEMBER 2004) 20 THE WAR IS SPREADING EAST (MARCH 2004) 22 A CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS IN THE NORTHERN UGANDA CONFLICT (JUNE 2005) 24 ONE OUTLINE OF THE CAUSES OF THE CONFLICT IN ACHOLILAND (DEC 2002) 27 ETHNIC TENSION; MYTH OR REALITY? (FEB. 2004) 31 ACHOLI LACK CONFIDENCE IN THE GOVERNMENT (JULY 2003) 32 THE NATIONAL RESISTANCE ARMY’S ARMED INSURGENCY (1981-1986) 33 FOUR MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CONFLICT (APRIL 2004) 34 THE HOLY SPIRIT MOVEMENT FRONT AND ALICE AUMA 'LAKWENA', 1986-1987 35 THE LEADER OF LORD’S RESISTANCE ARMY BROKE AWAY WITH ALLIES IN OBOTE II ARMY(1988) 36 LORD’S RESISTANCE ARMY SEVERLY WEAKENED, ACCORDING TO ARMY OFFICIALS (MAY 2005) 37 BACKGROUND OF THE ALLIANCE FOR DEMOCRATIC FORCES, 1996-1999 37 BACKGROUND OF THE CONFLICT IN THE WEST NILE AND THE WNBF, 1971-2002 39 DISPLACEMENTS IN ACHOLILAND 41 CAUSES OF DISPLACEMENT IN PADER DISTRICT, 2001-2004 41 MASSIVE DISPLACEMENT IN LIRA DISTRICT, 2003-2004 42 LRA ATTACKS ARE OFTEN AFTER FOOD DISTRIBUTION BY WFP (MAY 2004) 43 SUDANESE REFUGEES IN UGANDA TARGETED BY THE LRA ( MAY 2004) 44 GOVERNMENT ALLEGEDLY MOVED REFUGEES BY FORCE (AUGUST 2003) 45 ARMY DISPLACED 300,000 PEOPLE (JULY 2003) 45 INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE REGARD CAMPS AS TRAPS (JULY 2003) 47 LRA REBELS ATTACK GOVERNMENT CREATED "PROTECTED" IDP VILLAGES (2002-2003) 48 DISPLACEMENTS IN THE TESO REGION 51 RETURN TAKES PLACE IN TESO WHILE DISPLACEMENT CONTINUES DUE TO KARAMOJONG (MAY 2006) 51 CAUSES OF DISPLACEMENT IN TESO REGION, 1985-2005 (JUNE 2005) 52 CATTLE RAIDS, DROUGHT AND FOOD INSECURITY IN THE KARAMAJONG DOMINATED NORTH- EAST (2000-2003) 53 INTER AND EXTRA COMMUNAL VIOLENCE AMONG THE KARAMAJONG (JULY 2005) 55 3 DISPLACEMENTS CAUSED BY KARIMOJONG PASTORALISTS IN EASTERN UGANDA (1999-2002) 57 DISPLACEMENTS IN THE WEST 59 THE THREAT FROM ALLIED DEMOCRATIC FORCES REDUCED (2003) 60 LANDOWNERS IN THE RWENZORI REGION CHARGE IDPS FOR LAND (2002) 61 DISPLACEMENTS RELATED TO THE ALLIED DEMOCRATIC FORCES (ADF) IN THE WEST AND SOUTHWEST (1998-2003) 62 PEACE-EFFORTS 63 JUBA PEACE PROCESS (OCTOBER 2006) 63 SPLA ATTEMPTS TO MEDIATE TALKS BETWEEN LRA AND GOVERNMENT (MAY 2006) 68 ICC ISSUES ARREST WARRANTS FOR TOP LRA COMMANDERS, COMPLICATING PEACE EFFORTS (JANUARY 2006) 69 REVIVED HOPES FOR PEACE (NOVEMBER 2005) 70 IDPS PREFER PEACE BEFORE JUSTICE (JULY 2005) 71 LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS ORGANISE RECONCILIATION CONFERENCE (DECEMBER 2004) 73 US SUPPORTED PEACE INITIATIVE (SEPTEMBER 2004) 74 ANTI-TERRORISM LAWS UNDERMINE AMNESTY ACT OF 2000 (MAY 2004) 75 WHY THERE HAVE NEVER BEEN ANY REAL "PEACE TALKS" ( JULY 2003) 77 LEADERS OF A PEACE INITIATIVE HAVE REJECTED CALLS TO OFFER MONEY TO THE REBEL LORD'S RESISTANCE ARMY (LRA)(OCTOBER 2003) 79 PREMATURE PEACE HOPES, 1994-2005 80 KACOKE MADIT (KM) - AN ORGANISATION OF THE ACHOLI COMMUNITY IN EXILE WORKING FOR PEACE (1996-2000) 84 HOW CAN THE US SUPPORT THE PEACE-PROCESS? (JULY 2005) 85 TRIBAL ANIMOSITY SUBSIDED IN LANGO REGION (SEPTEMBER 2004) 87 UGANDA-SUDAN-DRC RELATIONS 89 LRA COMMITS ATROCITIES IN EASTERN DRC AND SOUTHERN SUDAN, UN SECURITY COUNCIL RESPONDS (MARCH 2006) 89 GOVERNMENT MUST STOP RHETORIC OF DECLARING WAR IS OVER (MARCH 2006) 90 SUDAN MAINTAINS ALLEGED SUPPORT TO LRA WHILE SPLA JOINS UGANDA IN HUNTING THE LRA (NOVEMEBER 2005) 90 LRA ENTERS DRC, NEW DISPLACEMENT FEARED IN NORTHWEST UGANDA (NOVEMBER 2005) 91 INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE ON SUDAN TO END ALL SUPPORT FOR THE LRA IS VERY LOW (JUNE 2005) 91 AGREEMENTS BETWEEN SUDAN AND UGANDA AND BETWEEN KHARTOUM AND THE SPLM/A HAVE LEFT THE LRA INCREASINGLY ISOLATED (JANUARY 2005) 94 LORD’S RESISTANCE ARMY ASSISTED BY SUDAN IN RETALIATION FOR UGANDAN SUPPORT TO SPLM/A (JULY 2003) 96 AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENTS OF SUDAN AND UGANDA, 8 DECEMBER, 1999 96 BACKGROUND TO THE CONFLICT IN THE KARAMAJONG AFFECTED AREA 97 COMPLEX CAUSES OF CONFLICT RESULT IN DISPLACEMENT WITHIN KARAMAJONG CLUSTER (AUGUST 2005) 98 DIFFERENT TYPES OF PASTORALIST CONFLICTS IN THE KARAMAJONG CLUSTER (AUGUST 2005) 99 HISTORICAL COMPLICITY BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND KARAMAJONG WARRIORS (JUNE 2005) 100 BACKGROUND OF THE CONFLICT IN THE KARAMAJONG NORTH-EAST, 1970S-2003 (DECEMBER 2001) 100 DIFFERENT TYPES OF PASTORALIST CONFLICTS IN THE KARAMAJONG CLUSTER 103 MONTHLY HUMANITARIAN UPDATE 103 4 OCHA MONTHLY HUMANITARIAN REPORTS 103 POPULATION FIGURES AND PROFILE 104 GLOBAL FIGURES 104 1.7 MILLION IDPS IN NORTHERN UGANDA (NOVEMBER 2006) 104 130,000 IDPS IN KARAMOJA (NOVEMBER 2006) 104 NUMBER OF NIGHT COMMUTERS DROPS (MAY 2006) 105 ESTIMATED 25,000 CHILDREN ABDUCTED SINCE THE START OF THE LRA CONFLICT (APRIL 2006) 106 GENERAL 106 IDPS IN LANGO AND TESO (APRIL 2006) 106 IDPS IN NORTHERN UGANDA (SEPTEMBER 2005) 108 IDPS IN ADJUMANI DISTRICT (SEPTEMBER 2005) 109 PATTERNS OF DISPLACEMENT 111 GENERAL 111 MOVEMENT OUTSIDE OF DISPLACEMENT CAMPS IN THE ACHOLI SUB-REGION (JUNE 2006) 111 IDPS MOVE FROM CAMP TO CAMP IN ACHOLI REGION AS RETURN PROCESS CONTINUES IN EASTERN UGANDA (SEPTEMBER 2005) 112 IDP MOVEMENTS IN TESO REGION FROM JUNE 2003 TO NOVEMBER 2004 (FEBRUARY 2005) 112 NIGHT COMMUTERS' PATTERN OF DISPLACEMENT (MAY 2004) 113 RECOGNIZABLE CHANGE IN THE SYSTEM AND CONSEQUENCES OF ABDUCTION AND ABDUCTEES (2003) 114 PHYSICAL SECURITY & FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT 115 PHYSICAL SECURITY 115 MILITARY OPERATIONS, ONGOING VIOLENCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES LEAD TO FURTHER DISPLACEMENT IN KARAMOJA (JANUARY 2007) 115 VIOLENCE AND DISPLACEMENT IN KOTIDO DISTRICT, KARAMOJA (NOVEMBER 2006) 116 STUDY REVEALS A NEED FOR A NEW HUMANITARIAN PROTECTION STRATEGY FOR UGANDA (DECEMBER 2006) 118 GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT IN SECURITY SITUATION IN NORTHERN UGANDA (NOVEMBER 2006) 120 LACK OF CIVILIAN POLICE STILL AN ACUTE PROBLEM (NOVEMBER 2006) 121 LOCAL DEFENSE UNITS COMMIT ABUSES AGAINST CIVILIANS (MAY 2006) 122 GOVERNMENT ARMY COMMITS ABUSES IN NORTHERN UGANDA WITH IMPUNITY (SEPTEMBER 2005) 123 WIDESPREAD HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AGANIST IDPS CONTINUE (JUNE 2005) 124 IDP WOMEN IN KARAMAJONG AFFECTED DISTRICTS SUFFER BEATING AND RAPE (JUNE 2005) 126 THE EXTENT OF THE MINE PROBLEM IN THE NORTH IS UNCLEAR (JUNE 2005) 126 NIGHT COMMUTERS EXPOSED TO SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND RAPE (FEBRUARY 2005) 127 SEXUAL AND GENDER BASED VIOLENCE IN TESO IDP CAMPS (FEBRUARY 2005) 127 SEXUAL AND GENDER BASED VIOLENCE IN IDP CAMPS (JUNE 2005) 128 5 INSUFFICIENT INTERNAL SECURITY IN IDP CAMPS 129 IDPS MASSACRED IN CAMPS (MAY 2004) 129 UNRECOGNISED CAMPS EASY TARGETS FOR REBELS (MAY 2004) 130 IDP EXPOSED TO EXTREME LEVELS OF VIOLENCE(JULY 2005) 131 MOST LRA ATTACKS ARE OFTEN AFTER FOOD DISTRIBUTION BY WFP (MAY 2004) 132 MOST COMMON HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS (FEBRUARY 2004) 133 THE ARMY CLAIMING THAT IDP CAMP HARBOURS REBEL COLLABORATORS (FEBRUARY 2004) 134 CHILDREN FORCED TO COMMIT ATROCITIES ON FELLOW ABDUCTEES AND SIBLINGS, 1997- 2004 135 SUBSISTENCE NEEDS 138 FOOD 138 ACUTE FOOD ACCESS SHORTFALL LIKELY IN KARAMOJA IN EARLY 2007 (NOVEMBER 2006)138 IMPROVEMENT IN FOOD SECURITY IN IDPS IN CAMPS (NOVEMBER