Poverty obstructing reintegration of Ex-LRA combatants – report
Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) commander, Joseph Kony. File photo
What you need to know:
- Between 1980 – 2006, the LRA waged a civil war against the Government of Uganda that led to massive and persistent disruption, hardship, dislocation and suffering for the people within that region and far beyond.
Poverty in parts of northern Uganda has prevented the meaningful return and reintegration of former fighters of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in post-conflict communities, a report by a team affiliated to Firoz Lalji Centre for Africa (FLCA), reveals.
The researchers are conducting a two-day exhibition project dubbed ‘Politics of Return,’ exploring the dynamics of the return of displaced communities and former fighters in Central and Eastern Africa.
The three-year research project focused on everyday experiences of those attempting to build or rebuild communities in Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and South Sudan.
Dr Ann McDonald the team leader of researchers told this reporter that former internally-displaced people and former combatants in Acholi sub-region still face extreme poverty despite poverty alleviation programs by the government.
She explained that there still exists stigmatisation of former LRA combatants which is linked not only to the atrocities they committed while in the bush, but also to the scarce resources.
Ms Jackie Atingo, a Research Consultant on Justice Security at the London School of Economics revealed that reintegration in northern Uganda was rushed without proper bonding between the community and LRA combatants.
Kara Blackmore, a researcher and curator of the exhibition said as conflict-related violence and persecution increases, and threat environments become more diffuse and complex, people are uprooted as they try to negotiate difficult conflict circumstances.
Between 1980 – 2006, the LRA waged a civil war against the Government of Uganda that led to massive and persistent disruption, hardship, dislocation and suffering for the people within that region and far beyond.
