One country, different realities

Crossing the River Nile to enter northern Uganda is more than just a visible example of the immense power of the world's longest river but is also a testimony to the divide between two versions of the same country – a war-ravaged north and a much more prosperous south. To the south of Karuma Falls is the Uganda that has enjoyed a period of peace and stability heralded by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni's 20-year rule. To the north, however, are the ethnic Acholi districts of Gulu, Pader and Kitgum which have collectively borne the brunt of a rebellion by Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). The vibrancy and energy of the capital, Kampala, is a world away from the realities of everyday life in the north, where more than 1.7 million people live a meagre, pitiful existence in overcrowded camps for the internally displaced. As a result of the insecurity plaguing the surrounding countryside, nature has reclaimed much of northern Uganda. Those living in camps scattered throughout the region - who are farmers by tradition - rely on food distributions from aid agencies, with inadequate access to clean water, proper sanitation and adequate healthcare. After nearly two decades, Kony's rebellion against the Ugandan government has somewhat lost its way. It now appears to have no obvious motivation or reason, political or otherwise. The LRA's original purpose was to overthrow Museveni’s government and replace it with one based on the Biblical Ten Commandments. The movement was fuelled by a desire to fight against the social and economic marginalisation of the Acholi people. However, the very people who have suffered most at the hands of Kony and his fighters have been the Acholi themselves. With tens of thousands killed - often in violent night raids or daytime roadside ambushes - the conflict has been characterised by the abduction and forced conscription of thousands of children into the rebel ranks. An entire generation has been lost in northern Uganda. Through a process of overwhelming guilt and terrorism, abducted children have been forced to carry out horrific "initiation" killings, to serve as sex slaves, or to suffer physical abuse and deprivation. Thousands of children who have managed to avoid being abducted trek to sleep in the relative safety of towns each night. Although the conflict has undulated over the years, there is now small hope that people can perhaps begin rebuilding their lives and return to their homes. Increased operations against rebel bases in southern Sudan by the Ugandan army have reduced the incidence of attacks on camps and ambushes on the main routes that criss-cross the region. Analysts believe the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which brought to an end Sudan's own long-running civil war in January 2005, has helped sever the links of support the LRA was alleged to have had with the Khartoum government. The dry season, during which the amount of vegetation decreases, has denied the rebels the cover they require to move around. In addition, the issuing of arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court for Kony and the upper tiers of the LRA's command structure appear to have dispersed a proportion of fighters into the Democratic Republic of Congo and away from northern Uganda. Still, they could return. With the seasonal rains beginning, many wonder what the coming months may bring. The warrants have more or less closed the door to any negotiations between the government and the LRA leadership. They have also removed the option for the LRA leaders to surrender and take advantage of a government amnesty programme, which has encouraged a number of former fighters out of the bush. They now basically have two choices: to give up their rebellion and face justice in The Hague, or to continue fighting until the bitter end. Either way, for the long-suffering people of northern Uganda, only time will tell if this protracted conflict could finally be coming to a conclusion.