AFTER CONFLICT, UGANDANS RETURN HOME WITH U.S. HELP
By Lauren Lewis
After years of conflict, 900,000 displaced Ugandans have returned
to their homes in recent months. They have been helped by a U.S.
program aimed at improving the functioning of local government
offices, health and education.
"Life has got[ten] better-we can move freely, we can go to the
fields to dig, and we don't hear gunshots at night any more," said
a Ugandan man cited in a report by Oxfam.
USAID's Northern Uganda Transition Initiative (NUTI) helped people
return through funding of small-scale projects such as schools,
health centers, and government offices, said John Gattorn, deputy
country representative for USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives
(OTI).
OTI seized a "window of opportunity since political transitions are
underway in Uganda," Gattorn said in an interview in Washington.
NUTI showed Ugandans the "immediate results of peace by increasing
the visibility and serviceability of the local government," he
added.
Conflict between the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), and the Ugandan
government displaced 1.8 million people in northern Uganda. Oxfam
reported that 900,000 had returned to their homes recently.
The U.S. State Department has designated the LRA as a terrorist
organization that seeks to overthrow the Ugandan government and has
murdered and kidnapped civilians.
The LRA has not yet signed the Juba Peace Agreement, aimed at
ending the LRAUganda conflict. However, they have not engaged in
fighting in northern Uganda in over two years.
A sign that the rebellion is winding down has been the setting up
of a government building in Odek, LRA leader Joseph Kony's
hometown. It serves as a visible reminder that peace has returned
to the region, Gattorn said.
During the conflict, local governments were devastated and NGOs
provided the majority of goods and services to people. As a result
of the war, Ugandans have lost confidence in the ability of local
governments to deliver services, Gattorn said.
To enhance the government's capacity to serve citizens, NUTI gives
out small short-term grants. It also funds truth and reconciliation
activities such as cleansing ceremonies to address the fear and
bitterness caused by alleged LRA atrocities.
Gattorn said that NUTI illustrates the importance of citizens'
involvement in their governments. He stated that local governments
must remain active during complex emergencies to avoid
post-conflict power vacuums.
DI Blogs: Inside DI | DI at Work