Uganda's Children of War

Nothing upsets me more than the inhumane treatment of children. In 2001 I heard about a village in northern Uganda, Lira, where children were being abducted and forced into the rebel's army. A July 11th Reuters' poll showed that Northern Uganda ranked as the second most dangerous place for children, after Darfur, Sudan. I didn't really try pay too much attention to it, and thought, in passing, that it might be 12 and 13 year old children (the 'typical' age that children abducted for service in the army usually are). It wasn't until 2005 that I found out that the children are as young as 6 and 7 years old! I was appalled. Stories of children sneaking out of their homes every night and going into hiding in unnamed villages to keep them safe started to creep out. The young boys are forced to fight and the young (very young) girls are offered as a reward to the soldires who then rape them. Life is not easy. The young girls are used as servants and beaten regularly.

Older girls are given as wives and must cook, clean and take care of the camp. The Human Rights Watch reports numerous atrocites to children, especially girls, in the camp in itsreport. If the children don't do what they are told, or are too weak, the other children are forced to beat them up, or kill them. The rebel leader, Joseph Kony, joined a resistance movement that was part of the Holy Spirit Movement led by Alice Auma (or Alice Lakwena). He claims to be a spirit medium and practices a mixture of witchcraft, sorcery, and mixed religion. Since his rise in 1986, he and his army have abducted over 20,000 children. The international crime court hasissued warrants for the arrest of Joseph Kony and his chief commanders for crimes against humanity. To avoid abduction, many of the children take a nightly trek into nearby towns to sleep on the streets and in dormitories where they are relatively safe. Some children have resorted to selling their bodies for sex to make enough money to take care of their families at home. The war has prevented medical facilities from receiving supplies,and disrupted the infrastructure. This has led to a rise in HIV/AIDS related deaths, increased the number of orphans in the area, and halted the economic growth of the region. Joseph Kony has struck fear in the region with claims of his ability to work powerful magic and sorcery. Training for the army is carried out in Southern Sudan and there are rumors that he is supported by radical Muslim factions. He is currently in peace talks with the Ugandan Government to see if a ceasefire will be possible. Unfortunately, even if the talks end up being fruitful and acheive their goal, there is still the issue of the children who have been forced into fighting and killing for years from the tender ages of 6 and 7. How do you reintroduce them to society? Will they be able to rejoin society, or will their taste for war and brutality be so ingrained that they view life as disposable? The Jamaica Gleaner reports that there are now 935,000 children living in refugee camps in Northern Uganda. These camps are not always safe and there have been reports that the children sometimes fare badly at the hands of their so-called rescuers. Some families have abandoned or rejected the children, forcing them to fend for themselves.

Some Solutions

In 2003, Jason Russell, Bob Bailey ,and Lauren Poole, went on a journey to Uganda to make a film about Africa. Circumstances conspired to make them get stranded in northern Uganda and make a film that would change them and open the world's eyes to the inhumanities that were mostly unknown in the rest of the world. In 2004 they formed a company called the Invisible Children that provides aid for the children in the area. Money from the proceeds of the film, and from the sale of bracelets that the children in northern Uganda make, helps provide food, shelter and clothing so that they can live relatively normal lives. Schools have been set up in the area that provide education and rehabilitation for the children. Parents of abducted children have also banded together to form non-profit/non-governmental organizations that help families that have been displaced and traumatized by the results of the war and abductions. Mercy Corps Organization is providing agricultural camps that allow people to resettle in the area and sustain themselves through agricultural pursuits. They also keep people informed about the conflict through their silent disasters () page. These are just a few of the gruops that have decided to do something for the children. Support them, keep yourself informed and raise awareness so that the situation can end soon.