In the late 1980s and 1990s, Uganda was seen as a success story having overcome years of violence under dictators Idi Amin and Milton Obote. In mid-2002 however, Uganda once again drew international attention when fighting between rebel group the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the Ugandan government escalated significantly in northern parts of the country, killing tens of thousands of people and displacing more than 1.6 million.
After several years of brutal violence, peace negotiations between the LRA and the government were arranged in 2006 and today the area remains relatively calm. Tens of thousands of formerly displaced people are now making the journey home – either to their home villages or to transit camps nearby.
Uganda has also faced an influx of refugees from neighboring conflicts in Sudan and Kenya. However, the majority of these refugees have now also returned home given the ongoing stability in Southern Sudan and an end to the post-electoral violence in Kenya.
The northeast of Uganda, specifically the Karamoja sub-region, is also prone to outbreaks of violence. Environmental degradation coupled with extreme poverty, chronic food shortages, a lack of jobs and the prevalence of automatic weapons has led clans to launch violent raids to steal valuable livestock from neighbors as a means of survival.
Voices from the Field: Read the latest posts from Uganda on the IRC blog
How We Help
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) began working in Uganda in 1998 in response to the widespread devastation wrought by the LRA. Ten years on, we are supporting communities as they return home by providing essential services such as medical care, sanitation, education, economic assistance, and women’s rights promotion.
In Karamoja, the IRC supports 13 peace committees to reduce inter-clan rivalry and promote peace. We work to prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to child, improve access to water, rehabilitate schools and prevent child labor.
