US Group indicts UPDF....
In December 2004, a US based NGO (Refugee International) released a report on Northern Uganda. In its 2 week investigation, the body found the UPDF at the heart of atrocities which were taking place in Northern Uganda. It catalogued recruitment of children into the national army and in situations where the UPDF could not find readily available men; force/abduction was the mode of recruitment.
The NGO reported that during one of its visits to a camp in Kitgum, it found the UPDF had forcibly recruited (abducted) 52 inhabitants under the pretext that the civilians were deserters. When the NGO (Refugee International) tried to verify the true status of the recruits, local leaders reported that few if any of those taken were infact deserters.
The report noted that arrest and torture of those refu sing to join the UPDF were common place (with civilians being falsely accused of rebel "collaboration"). The most vulnerable group, the report found where those who had a history of participating in opposition politics (e.g. members of Uganda's traditional political parties like UPC and DP).
The report noted that sexual violence (especially attacks by the UPDF) were rife in the camps. It found that rapes, particularly by the UPDF mobile force "were assumed to be widespread" and said "most women and girls out stigmatisation and fear of retribution (by the UPDF) do not come forward to accuse the rapists". It concluded "whilst defilement or sex with under-age girls is a serious crime in Uganda, UPDF soldiers are rarely brought to book".
In a related matter, the report found that because NGO's (including many that express expert opinion on Northern Uganda) do not travel regularly to camps in Northern Uganda, there was little monitori ng and reporting of human right abuses by the UPDF.
UPDF massacre civilians in Acholibur...
On 12 February 2005, 12 men together with their wives left Acholi-Bur camp for their former homesteads. The women quickly gathered wild vegetables together with firewood to go and prepare food for their families (children). The men remained behind in the bush, looking for building poles and reeds to repair their huts in the camps. It was then that the UPDF mobile troops came across the civilians.
The UPDF collected the men and accused them of taking supplies to the LRA. The crime the civilians committed in the eyes of the UPDF was being in an area the UPDF wanted "devoid of people" (which according to the UPDF translates into being a collaborator with the LRA). The UPDF then tied up the men and held them prisoner. During the night 2 of th e civilians managed to escape and they reported to people in the camp that the rest of the group were being held in the "jungle" by the UPDF mobile force.
On the 13 February 2005, other civilians who had ventured out of the camp to look for building materials found the bodies of the civilians. The UPDF had killed all of them during the night. When news broke to the camp that the UPDF had carried out the killings, these were denied by the UPDF hierarchy in Acholi-Bur as mere rumour mongering. When the relatives of the deceased men collected their bodies for burial, the UPDF then put out a statement saying the men were killed by the LRA. They claimed the men had gone to look for firewood "in an area which was not protected" i.e. outside the camp.
For the people of Acholi-Bur though, they knew the truth because two of their members saw with their very own eyes that it was the UPDF that held their colleagues. To them this killi ng, like the ones before were the work of none other than the UPDF.
And the killings continue...
One of the findings of the US based group (Refugee International) was that people who had history of participation in political party politics were most at risk of attack from the UPDF in Northern Uganda.
In December 2004, a US based NGO (Refugee International) released a report on Northern Uganda. In its 2 week investigation, the body found the UPDF at the heart of atrocities which were taking place in Northern Uganda. It catalogued recruitment of children into the national army and in situations where the UPDF could not find readily available men; force/abduction was the mode of recruitment.
The NGO reported that during one of its visits to a camp in Kitgum, it found the UPDF had forcibly recruited (abducted) 52 inhabitants under the pretext that the civilians were deserters. When the NGO (Refugee International) tried to verify the true status of the recruits, local leaders reported that few if any of those taken were infact deserters.
The report noted that arrest and torture of those refu sing to join the UPDF were common place (with civilians being falsely accused of rebel "collaboration"). The most vulnerable group, the report found where those who had a history of participating in opposition politics (e.g. members of Uganda's traditional political parties like UPC and DP).
The report noted that sexual violence (especially attacks by the UPDF) were rife in the camps. It found that rapes, particularly by the UPDF mobile force "were assumed to be widespread" and said "most women and girls out stigmatisation and fear of retribution (by the UPDF) do not come forward to accuse the rapists". It concluded "whilst defilement or sex with under-age girls is a serious crime in Uganda, UPDF soldiers are rarely brought to book".
In a related matter, the report found that because NGO's (including many that express expert opinion on Northern Uganda) do not travel regularly to camps in Northern Uganda, there was little monitori ng and reporting of human right abuses by the UPDF.
UPDF massacre civilians in Acholibur...
On 12 February 2005, 12 men together with their wives left Acholi-Bur camp for their former homesteads. The women quickly gathered wild vegetables together with firewood to go and prepare food for their families (children). The men remained behind in the bush, looking for building poles and reeds to repair their huts in the camps. It was then that the UPDF mobile troops came across the civilians.
The UPDF collected the men and accused them of taking supplies to the LRA. The crime the civilians committed in the eyes of the UPDF was being in an area the UPDF wanted "devoid of people" (which according to the UPDF translates into being a collaborator with the LRA). The UPDF then tied up the men and held them prisoner. During the night 2 of th e civilians managed to escape and they reported to people in the camp that the rest of the group were being held in the "jungle" by the UPDF mobile force.
On the 13 February 2005, other civilians who had ventured out of the camp to look for building materials found the bodies of the civilians. The UPDF had killed all of them during the night. When news broke to the camp that the UPDF had carried out the killings, these were denied by the UPDF hierarchy in Acholi-Bur as mere rumour mongering. When the relatives of the deceased men collected their bodies for burial, the UPDF then put out a statement saying the men were killed by the LRA. They claimed the men had gone to look for firewood "in an area which was not protected" i.e. outside the camp.
For the people of Acholi-Bur though, they knew the truth because two of their members saw with their very own eyes that it was the UPDF that held their colleagues. To them this killi ng, like the ones before were the work of none other than the UPDF.
And the killings continue...
One of the findings of the US based group (Refugee International) was that people who had history of participation in political party politics were most at risk of attack from the UPDF in Northern Uganda.
In March 2005, a legislator from Northern Uganda gave an account of civilians who were killed by the UPDF in the preceding weeks in his constituency;
"MP Okumu said the army killed Owiny P. Oneka of Paduny parish in Awach sub-county, Nyeko Batulumayo, Vincent Ayella from Awach, Richard Kidega of Olel Primary School, David Nyeko of Awach Camp One Ave, Binoni Odongo of Pagik and Onuna between February and March.
He said a week earlier, Orach Otim was arrested from Pabbo camp and taken to Gulu Military Barracks where he was promised to be released if he joined the NRM.
Okumu pointed out over 10 incidences in which he said the victims were killed, detained or threatened by soldiers from the 11th battalion".
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