By Badru D. Mulumba
Feb 27, 2004
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KAMPALA - The rebellion in northern Uganda claimed 3,000 lives last year, a United States report on human rights says. Secretary of State Colin Powell released the report yesterday, which partly highlights the suffering of people in northern Uganda at the hands of the rebel Lord's Resistance Army. And, countrywide, some 2 million children lost a parent or both, largely due to either the conflict or Aids, the report dubbed, Country Reports On Human Rights Practices, says. "There were numerous LRA attacks on villages, and internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in which persons were killed, injured, raped, mutilated, or abducted," the report says. "During the year, LRA attacks resulted in the deaths of approximately 3,000 persons, including children; numerous injuries; and the destruction of homes and property," the report adds. This is the first known independent estimate of war victims in 2003. But army spokesman Shaban Bantariza said it was an overestimate. Though he conceded that the army may not have accurate records of civilian deaths, Maj. Bantariza said: "But I don't have to verify that [3,000]; it is an overestimate." The US report comes on the heels of recent LRA attacks in Lira that left more than 200 dead, according to independent estimates. Government says 84 died. The United Nations and Amnesty International have since condemned the killings. The report accuses LRA of increasingly using landmines. The report, however, does not spare what it calls the 60,000-person strong UPDF for having 300-400 underage soldiers. It says that the army detained ex-LRA child combatants for unacceptably long periods and in some cases used them on intelligence and reconnaissance missions - a claim Bantariza denies. "In which unit are they?" he said. "That we have 300 underage soldiers? That is wrong." Bantariza said that the army recently checked out allegations that one out of every 10 members of the Amuka militia was underage. "But out of 7,000, there were only four underage recruits," he said. The report says that 85 percent of the LRA forces are made up of children, most of them between 11 and 16 years old. It also estimates that 2 million children have lost one or both parents to war and disease. Summarising the human rights situation in Uganda, the report says: "The Government's human rights record remained poor; although there were some improvements in a few areas, serious problems remained. Domination by the Movement of the political process limited the right of citizens to change their government." It says there were arbitrary killings. The report cites Pte Richard Wigiri, who was sentenced to death for allegedly murdering Monica Achiro in December 2002, and privates Kambacho Ssenyonjo and Alfred Okech for allegedly killing three civilians. Ismael Muviru, Mutwabil Walakira, Capt. Sewamuwa Daudi, and another man whose name was not known, were reportedly executed by the Joint Anti-Terrorism Force in Luwero. "The Government at times restricted freedom of speech, the press, and association, and severely restricted freedom of assembly," it adds. |
© 2004 The Monitor Publications
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