/ 3 September 2007

UN sees human rights advances in Uganda

There has been a ”marked reduction” in human rights violations, road ambushes and illegal firearms in Uganda’s north-east over the past six months, the United Nations said on Monday.

In a report, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said the Ugandan national army had made important advances between April and August in reducing the number of guns and ammunition circulating in the long-unstable Karamoja region.

”The number of reported and alleged cases of human rights violations committed during disarmament operations, including extra-judicial killings, theft and loss of property, markedly reduced during the reporting period, pointing to significant overall improvements in the human rights situation,” it said.

Banditry and unrest has long plagued the Karamoja region, where looting, ambushes and cattle rustling by AK47-wielding warriors have caused widespread instability.

In April, High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour accused the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) of using indiscriminate and excessive force when fighting the bandits, causing civilian deaths.

The new report said the UPDF have recovered more than 1 500 weapons in ”cordon and search” operations since the start of 2007, and handed back 5 344 stolen cows to their owners.

Increased military deployment along major roads has also contributed to an increased sense of safety, as well as faster responses when attacks and cattle raids occur, it said.

But it added that some Ugandan soldiers continued to violate human rights with killings, torture, and the use of excessive force that caused the destruction of property and livelihoods.

It repeated Arbour’s calls for Ugandan authorities to investigate and hold perpetrators accountable for abuses, saying: ”A systematic institutional response against fighting impunity within the UPDF is still lacking.”

Victims of abuse — including households headed by children, the elderly and other vulnerable people — have not received compensation for losses from death, injury or property damage at the hands of the army, the UN said.

The report called for more confidence-building activities, such as meetings between communities and army officials, as well as programmes to increase awareness of human rights standards and principles among Karamoja residents.

Investment in development projects that create employment opportunities and revitalise farmlands was stressed as ”the only sustainable means of bringing about stability” in Karamoja. — Reuters