Mother Uganda - beauty and struggle
Facts
Known as the 'pearl of Africa' with it's wide savannah, the evergreen rain forest and lake victoria feeding the nile river before it's long way to egypt, Uganda could be a paradise-like home for it's people. The soil is fructuous, the flora and fauna very rich in species and the citizens well known for their kindness and hospitality. But the later history of the country is dominated by dictatorships, followed by a long and unimaginably cruel civil war in the north which brought tremendous suffering to the people, especially children were affected by the ruthless fighting.
Nowadays there is a relative peace in the war-torn north and tourists are again visiting the unique places at lake victoria and the national parks. But the country remains in struggle and pain! Uganda keeps the 157th place in the Human Development Index (HDI) out of 182, the HIV/Aids epidemy is constantly spreading and the severe poverty of many is the cause of catastrophic living conditions in various communities.
Nowadays there is a relative peace in the war-torn north and tourists are again visiting the unique places at lake victoria and the national parks. But the country remains in struggle and pain! Uganda keeps the 157th place in the Human Development Index (HDI) out of 182, the HIV/Aids epidemy is constantly spreading and the severe poverty of many is the cause of catastrophic living conditions in various communities.
The later history briefly
After Uganda became independent from the british colonial power in 1962, a man named Milton Obote came in power and established a one-party system. He realised his ideas in parts by bloody violence and massacres, therefore he lost support from the people which was taken advantage of by a major general of his own army, Idi Amin.
Idi Amin Dada took over in 1971, when Obote travelled abroad, and established a dictatorship. He persecuted and killed members of different tribes, exploited his own people and spread fear among the whole country. A sudden attack at Tanzania in 1978 in order to annex the Kagera area, finally ended the reign of Amin when Tanzanian troops, supported by Ugandan resistance fighters, captured Kampala in 1979. Idi Amin fled the country and left a broken economy and around 300.000 civilians dead behind.
Unfortunately, Obote came in power again in 1980, after manipulated elections. The persecution and murder of opponents and ethnic groups continued and became worse than ever before. In this time the current president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, formed the National Resistance Army (NRA) in order to overthrow Milton Obote's regime, in which he succeeded in 1986. Museveni became the new president of Uganda.
The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) was formed by Joseph Kony in the north of Uganda. He wants to become the president of the country and build a state based on the 10 commandments, he also claims to have spiritual power. He alleges to fight the government of president Museveni but in truth his war is one against innocent civilians. For more than 20 years the LRA rebels terrorised the rural areas of northern Uganda in an unbelievably violent way, killed countless men, women and children. Because there is absolutely no support from Uganda's people for Kony's guerilla army, the LRA abducted estimated 30.000 children to turn them into child soldiers. The LRA is especially feared for cutting off hands, ears and noses.
In 2006 and 2008 the Ugandan government and the LRA sat down for peace talks where a cease-fire was signed by both parties, but not by Joseph Kony personally. Since that time Uganda was spared from more violence but the LRA continues to kill, loot and abduct in Congo and southern Sudan. Recently the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against Joseph Kony and some of his combatants for war crimes and crimes against humanity. This decision increased the concerns that the LRA might return into the north of Uganda to take revenge.
Due to the war in the north, the poverty and the HIV/Aids plague, the average age in Uganda is 15 years and more than half of the entire population are children under the age of 15. There are estimated 3.5 million (likely more) orphaned children across the country.
As another consequence of the war between the LRA and the government there are 1.7 million people who were forced to leave their homes. They are now living as refugees in huge camps in the north with little assistance in medical care or food supply. The suffering is still immense!
After Uganda became independent from the british colonial power in 1962, a man named Milton Obote came in power and established a one-party system. He realised his ideas in parts by bloody violence and massacres, therefore he lost support from the people which was taken advantage of by a major general of his own army, Idi Amin.
Idi Amin Dada took over in 1971, when Obote travelled abroad, and established a dictatorship. He persecuted and killed members of different tribes, exploited his own people and spread fear among the whole country. A sudden attack at Tanzania in 1978 in order to annex the Kagera area, finally ended the reign of Amin when Tanzanian troops, supported by Ugandan resistance fighters, captured Kampala in 1979. Idi Amin fled the country and left a broken economy and around 300.000 civilians dead behind.
Unfortunately, Obote came in power again in 1980, after manipulated elections. The persecution and murder of opponents and ethnic groups continued and became worse than ever before. In this time the current president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, formed the National Resistance Army (NRA) in order to overthrow Milton Obote's regime, in which he succeeded in 1986. Museveni became the new president of Uganda.
The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) was formed by Joseph Kony in the north of Uganda. He wants to become the president of the country and build a state based on the 10 commandments, he also claims to have spiritual power. He alleges to fight the government of president Museveni but in truth his war is one against innocent civilians. For more than 20 years the LRA rebels terrorised the rural areas of northern Uganda in an unbelievably violent way, killed countless men, women and children. Because there is absolutely no support from Uganda's people for Kony's guerilla army, the LRA abducted estimated 30.000 children to turn them into child soldiers. The LRA is especially feared for cutting off hands, ears and noses.
In 2006 and 2008 the Ugandan government and the LRA sat down for peace talks where a cease-fire was signed by both parties, but not by Joseph Kony personally. Since that time Uganda was spared from more violence but the LRA continues to kill, loot and abduct in Congo and southern Sudan. Recently the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against Joseph Kony and some of his combatants for war crimes and crimes against humanity. This decision increased the concerns that the LRA might return into the north of Uganda to take revenge.
The Legacy
Due to the war in the north, the poverty and the HIV/Aids plague, the average age in Uganda is 15 years and more than half of the entire population are children under the age of 15. There are estimated 3.5 million (likely more) orphaned children across the country.
As another consequence of the war between the LRA and the government there are 1.7 million people who were forced to leave their homes. They are now living as refugees in huge camps in the north with little assistance in medical care or food supply. The suffering is still immense!
Facts
- Population: 31,6 million
- In 2003 around 82% of the population had less than 1 Dollar per day to live
- Life expactancy: 47.5 years
- 3.5 million orphans due to aids, war and poverty
- 50.4% less than 15 years of age
- Doctors: 0,08 per 1000 citizens
- Access to clean water: 56%
- HIV infected: More than 1 million people (8%)
- Less than half of the HIV-infected people have access to adequate treatment
