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The Parliament of Uganda has received the report from the Select Committee on the Security and Humanitarian Situation in the Lango, Acholi and Teso Sub regions: This committee was a 10 member committee chaired by Hon Alice Alaso, Soroti District Woman Representative.
This Committee was formed after Parliament received and discussed the brief on displaced persons and government emergency intervention in Lira, Kaberamaido, Soroti and Katakwi districts submitted to it by the Rt Hon First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Lt Gen Moses Ali on 13th November 2003.
The terms of reference for this Committee were:
- To study the report and the brief on the situation of internally displaced persons and government emergency intervention in Lira, Kaberamaido, Soroti and Katakwi districts which was submitted to Parliament on Thursday 13th November 2003, together with other previous relevant reports of Parliament.
- Select, invite and interview persons in the Civil Society Organisations, in the war affected sub-regions, in the Donor and Non governmental Communities who have dealt and or studied the humanitarian situation. In order to appraise Parliament on the state of the humanitarian needs or crisis as well as the manner in which it is being handled in the war affected areas.
- Invite and interview ministers and officials responsible for disaster and relief, medical and educational programmes focused on the needs of the internally displaced persons in particular and the war affected areas generally
From the above, to write a report detailing
- The factual magnitude, the scale, the capacity and state of preparedness to handle the state of humanitarian situation in the Lango, Acholi and Teso Sub regions.
- An assessment of the way the situation had been handled so far and whether there are any existing and long term plans on how to deal with the situation by the various agencies.
- Assess the government and the donor capacity to deal with the current and projected needs for all aspects of the humanitarian assistance.
- Proposals or solutions to provide emergency and sustainable management of the security situations and humanitarian needs created by the northern war.
- Any other matter which the Committee would consider important in the efforts to end the war
The Committee covered:
- The Scale of Displacement
- The water, land and the environment sector, including the provision of water to IDPs, development of water in small towns, sanitation situation in camps
- Food provision
- The education sector
- The health sector
- Children and the conflict in the north
- Women
- Utilization of grants and tax collection
- Works, housing and communications sector
- Financial position of NUREP
- Issues of concern raised by humanitarian agencies
- Role of area members of Parliament
- Security situation in Lango, Acholi and Teso Sub region, including the local militia, management of convoys, amnesty to the rebels and cattle rustling
On each of the above points, the Committee made specific recommendations and proposed 14 points as a way forward.
- The IDP Policy should be formulated expeditiously to guide humanitarian intervention in areas affected by instability.
- While the Committee appreciates the existing bilateral relations between Uganda and Sudan, the diplomatic steps that have been pursued to end insurgency in the north, further commitment from the Sudanese government to enhance the resolution of Kony Terrorism is needed.
- Government should make its presence and intervention felt in the region, both as an obligation and a confidence building measure. It should not hide behind the work of the Humanitarian agencies. Indeed in Pader and Kitgum, the local people say their Government is World Food Programme. While in Karamoja, Oxfam is known more than Government Ministries. Among the children their leaders are UNICEF and World Vision.
- The Committee recommends that in order to be empowered and facilitate their coordinating role, strengthen advocacy and resource mobilization, the Department of Disaster Preparedness should be upgraded to a full ministry.
- The Local Government Act, the Public Finance and Accountability Act and Regulations thereof should be amended to reflect the need for flexible use of existing funds
- National planning and budgeting should adequately reflect the needs of over 2 million people directly affected by the conflict. As of now, the budget process has continued as though all else is normal in the Acholi Lango and Teso sub-regions.
- All efforts to end the war, through peaceful negotiation should be vigorously pursued. For a long time, the LRA conflict has been down played and efforts to end it have not been concerted. All available avenues should be exhausted in a bid to save the suffering population.
- The national reconciliation programme should be urgently put in place to address all underlying grievances among Ugandans. The international community is urged to facilitate the reconciliation programme. Under the same vein, issues of constitutionalism and good governance need to be pursued consistently and patriotically to avoid creating a disgruntled class that would opt for rebellion as a way of redress.
- In the Short run, adequate resource mobilization for food and social services be undertaken to sustain the lives of IDPS.
- Adequate security be provided for the IDPs as camps have in the recent past been consistently targeted by the LRA.
- The comprehensive educational needs of the affected region should be addressed holistically with affirmative action being extended to the affected region in secondary and tertiary institutions.
- Since the whole region is traumatized, psychosocial support programme is needed for the whole region.
- The post war recovery programme for the conflict devastated areas should be developed now.
- Government should consider developing a special scheme that will resettle the auxiliary forces; the Arrow, Amuka, Frontier Guard and others in the event that they are disbanded.
The presentation of this report will reopen the debate on the Humanitarian crisis in northern Uganda in Parliament which debate had been deferred pending the submission of this report.
Source: Parliament Briefer No. 3, June 20th - 26th 2004.
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