Disagreements over new gov’t strategy

Okello Abbino, who has lived in Padibe camp for displaced people in Kitgum district for nine years, has never heard of the Ugandan government’s new strategy to redevelop the war-affected region. "Let them first end the rebellion, then we can talk about development," he said. "How do we start redeveloping the region when it is not yet safe?" Coordinated under the Joint Country Coordination and Monitoring Committee on northern Uganda, the new strategy was unveiled on 20 March. The committee is chaired by the prime minister and includes representatives from the government, nongovernmental organisations, United Nations agencies and other stakeholders. It proposes to intensify activities to redevelop the war-ravaged region in a more comprehensive manner. "It is basically to address the issues of returns, resettlement and integration. It also addresses questions of human rights and humanitarian assistance. The idea is that government should effectively address these issues in the short, medium and long term so that people can go back home in dignity," said the minister of state for disaster preparedness, Christine Aporu Akol. The strategy is also aimed at improving security in the camps, decongesting camps to improve service delivery, and encouraging the displaced to move to secure "satellite villages" closer to their home villages. It intends to reduce mortality rates in the camps and improve access to humanitarian assistance, health, education, water and sanitation. Not a solution Critics said that by emphasising the decongestion of camps, especially in Acholi, the new strategy does not solve the key challenge of returning people to their original homes - if indeed the security situation has improved. "First, the plan is confusing and not clear," said Carlos Rodrigues, a missionary who has lived in Gulu for many years. "Decongesting the camps means simply shifting people from one camp to another, which does not solve the problem. "I think it is realistic to start planning for people to return home, but the question is how to do it. So far, everything has been left in the hands of the army - which is just one stakeholder. The joint committee should have included all stakeholders, including representatives of IDPs [internally displaced persons],” he said. Parliamentarians from the war-ravaged districts greeted the plan with a chorus of criticism, and many complained that they were not adequately consulted in its formulation. "Telling IDPs to return home now is an abuse," said Charles Angiro, a member of parliament from Erute North [in Lira district]. He cited continued rebel attacks in Dokolo, Erute North, Moroto and Otuke in the Lango sub-region. Kasilo County MP Elijah Okupa described the new strategy as “politics”, while Apac MP Betty Amongin said the army first needed to deploy heavily in the villages to give people confidence. Omara Atubo, an MP from Otuke, said the strategy was “too ad hoc”. Aporu said the parliamentarians were wrong to criticise the government strategy. "It is part of a process. I am surprised that they are quarrelling over it," she said. An opportunity, not an end The UN acting humanitarian coordinator in Uganda, Martin Mogwanja, said the strategy was "an opportunity for the government to demonstrate to the wider international community its intentions to address a broad range of issues as far as the IDP situation is concerned - for example protections of civilians; respect for human rights; return, reintegration and resettlement; expansion of humanitarian action in the camps where people cannot return; replacing military policing by civilian policing in the camps; and so on." Mogwanja observed that many of the proposed interventions were already underway. "It is important to note that launching the programme is not the answer to the IDP problems. It is when the government shows leadership in implementing this plan, committing both political will and some of its own resources to implementation, and when it holds its own officers and administrators accountable," he said. Stephen Opio, a journalist in the region who reports for Mega FM radio in Gulu, said the new strategy would only work if it involved district authorities and the displaced people themselves. An aid worker based in Pader remarked that while the plan looked good on paper, it needed a more specific time frame, further consultations on various activities and less politicisation. "The plan is still is still in embryonic stages," he said. "What is surprising is that the army claims people are already going home. I have not seen thousands of people flocking back to the villages, although there is some decongestion of camps going on. And then the bottom line is, it needs to be done properly, not under political pressure. At the moment, it would appear the government is simply responding to pressures to do something about the situation." According to the army, security has improved. "We are moving from a bad situation to an improved security situation," said army spokesman Lt Chris Magezi recently. "The situation is much better, as most major roads are now motorable without any threat of ambushes." Okello Abbino disagreed with the army's assessment and believed the LRA still posed a threat to the civilian population. He pointed at a line of hills on the horizon to the north of Pabide. "For example, they are in Agoro hills, and that is not too far from here," he said.