Prescriptions for Peace in Northern Uganda

Mercy Corps recently took part in a fact-finding mission in northern Uganda, an area that is taking its first tentative steps towards peace after twenty years of conflict.

Until recently, northern Uganda has been ravaged by continued fighting between the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and government forces. The two are in the midst of a shaky ceasefire and even more delicate negotiations going on right now in South Sudan to seek a resolution to the decades-long war.

Over 1.6 million people have been displaced into camps that offer no security or basic provisions and more than 20,000 children have been abducted by the LRA. Although Mercy Corps and other organizations are helping to provide aid, the international community has largely ignored the crisis and the ongoing peace process. As a result, the crisis in northern Uganda has become a silent disaster, plunging children and families into bitter turmoil.

As the people of Uganda slowly move back to their homes and a more normal way of life, there still remain a number of important things that the US and the international community can and should do to help finally end this long saga of tragedy and suffering.

The international community can play a critical role in helping to end this gruesome and costly conflict once and for all. Such efforts must be generous and well-modulated, and if done properly, can reinforce the welcome hope and possibility that have so recently sprung to life in northern Uganda.

Tell your Congressional representatives to read this policy brief and help strengthen the prospects for peace in Northern Uganda.