Carol Bellamy: Uganda is not a little darling

10 March 2005

The head of the United Nations Childrens Fund (Unicef) sharply criticised the Uganda government yesterday (Wednesday) for failing to tackle one of the worst [humanitarian] crises in the world.

About 1.6 million northern Ugandans are estimated to have fled their homes as a result of the instability caused by Lords Resistance Army rebels, an extremely violent, rag-tag group known for its brutality and kidnapping of children. It forces them into combat and sexual servitude.

In an unusually strong and direct attack by a senior UN official on a member government, Unicefs executive director, Carol Bellamy, urged people not simply to praise Uganda for its transition from conflict to peace and stability, its economic rebuilding and its handling of the HIV and AIDS epidemic.

Bellamy condemned the LRA rebels but said the government had to do more to solve the problem.

I dont think the government is doing enough, she told a meeting in London organised by the Overseas Development Institute.

Her remarks were underlined today (Thursday) by a poll of humanitarian professionals, journalists, academics and activists that placed the conflict as the world's second biggest "forgotten emergency", dwarfing the toll of the Asian tsunami but attracting little media interest.

The war in Democratic Republic of Congo topped the list in the poll organised by Reuters AlertNet, a humanitarian news website run by Reuters Foundation.

Bellamys comments coming six weeks before she relinquishes the job - follow rising criticism from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) about the Uganda governments failure either to quell the 18-year rebellion or deal with the severe disruption it has caused to hundreds of thousands of people.

In January, after peace talks collapsed, a 40-strong coalition, Civil Society Organisations for Peace in Northern Uganda, called on the international community to keep pressure on all parties to resume talks as soon as possible.

Emma Naylor of Oxfam commented: "After 18 years of fighting, we have to

the so-called military solution is a pipe dream

face the fact that the so-called military solution is a pipe dream. But even if it were possible, we must never forget that the overwhelming majority of LRA fighters are abducted children. A military solution means killing these children. There can be no glorious victory in such a situation - only a legacy of grief."

In February, Unicef accused the government of recruiting former rebel child soldiers into the national army, and urged an end to the practice.

Links:

Overseas Development Institute
Oxfam
Alertnet