Uganda - the Lords Resistance Army

The facts and figures of a long and bloody conflict

Article published on the 2008-10-09 Latest update 2008-10-09 15:24 TU

 

Areas affected by the conflict Northern Ugandan districts of Gulu, Amuru, Pader and Kitgum. Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria and Western Equatoria Provinces. Northern Democratic Republic of Congo’s Garamba National Park and outlying areas.

 

Key players in attempts to end the conflict:

United Nations: Partly funded the peace process and appointed former Mozambique President Joaquim Chissano as Special Envoy for LRA-affected areas.

European Union: Funded the process and had observers monitoring the talks.

United States: Represented at the peace process by Tim Shortley, Special Advisor to UN Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.
Uganda government: Represented by chief peace negotiator and Internal Affairs Minister Ruhakana Rugunda.

Lords Resistance Army: Represented mainly by its civilian negotiators, with hardly any of the rebel field commanders taking direct part in the months of negotiations. 

The figures 25,000: The estimated number of children abducted by LRA from northern and parts of eastern Uganda between 1989 and 2004. Of this, only about a half is recorded to have escaped, been captured or rescued in military operations and returned to their families.   1,000: The estimated current number of LRA rebels still under arms in their bases in Congo and Southern Sudan.   1,800,000: The number of people internally displaced by the LRA in 2002-2004, the height of their attacks against civilians in northern Uganda and parts of eastern Uganda.   300,000: The number of people still internally displaced and fearing to return to their villages by September 2008, fearing the peace talks might fail and rebel activities could resume.