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| Rory Anderson Sr. Policy Advisor for Africa World Vision before the U.S. Congressional Human Rights Caucus The Conflict in Northern Uganda Thursday, April 14, 2005 Good Morning. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for this opportunity. World Vision is a Christian relief and development organization which gives on the ground assistance to children and families in need, regardless of who they are. For the past 55 years, World Vision has been serving children and families throughout the world. In Uganda, we have been serving since 1986 with a broad range of assistance from meeting emergency needs, to direct HIV/AIDS care and prevention, to long-term poverty alleviation efforts ranging from agriculture, to economic development to the most needy populations on the ground. I was in northern Uganda about 4 weeks ago. It was my fourth trip there in two years. Indeed, the Children of N. Uganda are “Caught in the Cross-Fire” In Gulu, I met an 11-year-old boy in WV’s Children of War center, who — personally — was forced to kill 5 people, while held in captivity by the Lord’s Resistance Army for two years. The first time he killed someone, he told me that, he, along with other children, were forced to bite to death one child who had attempted to escape from the LRA. Yes, this is correct. He and other children were forced to bite another child to death. Then swallow the dead child’s blood. It was a warning to him and to the others not try to escape, or they would face the same torture. The cover of our recently launched report “Pawns of Politics” has the drawing done by on of the children at WV’s Children of War Center — a rehabilitation center for children who escape the LRA. As part of their counseling, children draw the experience. Here, featured on the cover is the day the child was abducted. It shows the child being tied up and forcibly marched away, while in the background their school is burning. Only children caught in the cross-fire draw these kinds of pictures. For the past 19 years, the children of northern Uganda have been made “Pawns of Politics” in a deadly game of war, between the LRA and the Government of Uganda. Well more than 20,000 children have been used as pawns, or child soldiers. As I mentioned, I returned 4 weeks ago, after a bittersweet celebration of the 10-year anniversary of World Vision’s Children of War Rehabilitation Center. For the past 10 years in our center, World Vision staff have counseled, rehabilitated and reconciled more than 13,500 children with their families and communities. But 10 years of World Vision’s service to these children, also means 10 years of failure by the governments of Uganda and Sudan, the failure of the United Nations, and the failure of the U.S. government and the international community not to care enough about these children to end the war. The LRA has been listed by the State Dept. as a terrorist organization. But in this situation where the terrorists themselves are hostages, both the Administration and the international community has all but ignored this forgotten war, while children are kidnapped from their homes, abused and, in some cases, as I’ve just described, forced to kill, then drink the blood of their victims. In our report, Pawns of Politics, of which I was the lead author, we try to explain both the humanitarian and the economic costs of this conflict. This 19-year war has cost an estimated $100 million dollars per year, and has more than doubled HIV/AIDS rates in surveyed, war-affected areas. Unofficial rates for Uganda are at around 5 %, but our research in certain areas shows that HIV/AIDS rates are at 11.9% — more than double the national average. In these areas, 69% of deaths are due to HIV/AIDS, and not direct conflict. But the face and the main victims of this war are children. More than 80 percent of the LRA is made up of abducted children. For nearly 20 years, there has been mass hostage taking, where several thousands of children have been abducted and forced to become soldiers — to become “kill or be killed” mercenaries. And in the case of girls, they have double duty: serving as both soldiers and sex slaves for senior adult commanders. In many cases, they have been forced to bear several children for those who repeatedly rape them. But it is not only the abducted children who are held hostage — it is also the children not in the LRA’s custody, but who are, nevertheless, held captive by the fear of abduction by the LRA. Because the LRA makes their raids at night — they usually like to abduct children between the ages 8 and 11. Most children in N. Uganda are now afraid to sleep in their own beds at night. As a result, they have become “night commuters.” Estimates of upwards of 50,000 children walk each evening — by themselves — to towns, as far as 10 miles away, to find safety from the LRA. They sleep on the streets of town centers and in makeshift camps. It is unbelievable that so many children are afraid to sleep in their own beds at night! This fear of abduction has also put entire families in the crossfire. Parents are forced to choose between their child being abducted and their child being abused by predators as their child “night commutes”. This is a choice no parent should ever have to make! There have been repeated heroic efforts by former Uganda Parliamentarian, Betty Bigombe, as well as the Acholi Religious and Traditional leaders, to engage the LRA and to work with the Gov’t of Uganda to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict. However, the most recent talks broke down last month, and Brigadier Sam Kolo, once the LRA’s 3rd Commander and lead negotiator, defected from the LRA. The collapse of the peace talks has resulted in increased insecurity on the ground and continued child abductions and attacks on civilians by the LRA. About four weeks ago, reports of LRA atrocities include the cutting off of the lips of 6 women in Kitgum who left their displaced camp to farm their small plots of land. While in N. Uganda a few weeks ago, I met with Sam Kolo, who was one of the masterminds of the LRA’s brutal regime of intimidation, fear and murder. I was struck by what this man — one of the masterminds of the LRA’s brutal regime — told me. Mr. Kolo squarely said to me that involvement by the international community would end this war. I don’t often agree with war criminals. But, in this instance, World Vision believes Mr. Kolo is right. Members of Congress, the Administration, and International leaders must use their political influence to say, “Enough is enough, we need to end this.” Although I have describe a horrific crisis that has gone on for far too long, let us not let cynicism about conflict in Africa ferment, such that we become drunk off of the wine of inaction. The peace in N. Uganda is winnable. High-level engagement both by Congress and the Administration can end this conflict. Key calls, by key people, followed by a sustained commitment, can end the crisis, so that Uganda’s children can sleep in peace. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I look forward to your questions. |  |
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