This week, Resolve Uganda Director of Advocacy Paul Ronan (the staff member who normally sends you our news roundups) posted a reflection from South Sudan about the ripple effects of LRA violence on local communities. "Living in Washington DC, it can be easy to underestimate the impact of this conflict, to measure solely by official estimates of the numbers of people killed, abducted or displaced by the LRA. In reality, LRA attacks have a pervasive effect on people's lives here that is often unquantifiable and difficult to package into sound bites or statistics," he writes. Stay tuned for more reflections from his upcoming trip DR Congo, where LRA violence is surging.
The Good: In the past two weeks, thousands of people have signed petitions, called offices, and written letters to ask Senator Coburn (R-OK) to remove his hold on the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act and allow it to pass. See the latest updates and action steps here.
The Bad: An education minister in the Dungu region of DR Congo reports that many of the children displaced by the LRA violence, particularly orphans, are not enrolled in school, while a third of the schools in the region were displaced or shut down by the fighting.
The Ugly: In South Sudan, Resolve Uganda's Paul Ronan writes that "the ripple effects of LRA activity," including displacement, loss of loved ones, hunger, and disease, "intensify every day that the rebel force is at large."
Regional Security
- Religious leaders from Uganda, Sudan, DR Congo, and Central African Republic met to discuss how they could work together for peace amidst surging LRA violence in their countries and produced a set of recommendations for international leaders.
- Leaders of the militaries of Uganda, DR Congo, and Central African Republic met to discuss continued joint operations against the LRA fighters who are destabilizing the entire region.
Situation in Northern Uganda
- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has ruled out the possibility of renewed peace talks with the LRA, after Acholi leaders called for new talks last week.
- In response to international pressure, it is likely that the proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill in the Ugandan Parliament will be amended. Hear more Ugandans' views on the proposed bill here.
International Community
- US Ambassador to Uganda Jerry Lanier confirmed in an interview this week that the US is providing direct support to the Ugandan military in their pursuit of LRA fighters in the region, and he also expressed concern about corruption in Uganda's upcoming national elections.