Key developments since May 2003: Uganda completed its stockpile
destruction of 6,383 antipersonnel landmines in July 2003; it retained 1,764
mines for training purposes. In September 2003, Uganda said the findings of the
joint Uganda-Rwanda commission investigating the conflict in DRC, including
serious allegations of landmine use by Ugandan forces, would not be made public,
in the interests of easing tensions between the parties. Uganda stated that the
Lord’s Resistance Army has continued to lay antipersonnel mines in the
north in 2003 and 2004. From 30 March to 7 April 2004, the UN carried out an
Inter-Agency Assessment Mission in Uganda.
Key developments since 1999: The Mine Ban Treaty entered into force
for Uganda on 1 August 1999. Uganda submitted its initial Article 7 report, due
in January 2000, in May 2002. Uganda does not have implementing legislation in
place, although reportedly it has been drafted and revised. Uganda completed
its stockpile destruction of 6,383 antipersonnel landmines in July 2003. There
were serious and credible allegations indicating a strong possibility of Ugandan
use of antipersonnel mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly in
the June 2000 battle for Kisangani. Uganda has denied any use, and reportedly
carried out a joint investigation, but it has not made the findings public. It
appears that Lord’s Resistance Army rebels have used landmines throughout
most of the period. Uganda invited foreign military attaches to inspect an
alleged mine production facility, and they concluded no production existed.
There is no organized mine clearance underway in Uganda, but mine risk education
is being carried out in the northern districts of Gulu, Kitgum and Pader, and in
Kasese district in western Uganda. Assessments of the mine situation in Uganda
have been carried out by the Mines Advisory Group (in May 2001 and
February/March 2003), Mines Awareness Trust (in January 2003), and a United
Nations interagency team (in March/April 2004). It is estimated that since
1998, 425 people have been killed by mines. In northern Uganda, the government
has identified 385 people with amputations as a result of mine or UXO incidents
between 1999 and 2003. More than ten local associations have been established to
support the socio-economic reintegration of mine survivors. In 2000, a
disability policy was put in place.
Mine Ban Policy
After participating fully in the Ottawa Process, Uganda signed the Mine Ban
Treaty on 3 December 1997, ratified on 25 February 1999, and the treaty entered
into force on 1 August 1999. Uganda drafted national implementation
legislation—“1997 Mine Ban Implementation Bill 2002”—but
has not yet enacted it. In April 2004, Uganda reported “an Implementation
Act is ready to be presented before Parliament.” In May 2004, Landmine
Monitor was informed that the draft national legislation had been revised,
incorporating suggestions made by the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) legal department. This revised draft was to be presented to the Cabinet
before being submitted to Parliament for
debate.[1] At the June 2004
intersessional Standing Committee meetings, a Ugandan official confirmed that
the pending legislation was still in the pipeline, but could not say exactly at
what stage.[2]
Uganda has attended all the annual Meetings of State Parties, except in 2000,
and has participated in all intersessional Standing Committee meetings since May
2001. Uganda has also participated regularly in regional initiatives to
universalize the Mine Ban Treaty, including attending a workshop held in Nairobi
in March 2004.[3] Uganda has
voted in support of every pro-ban UN General Assembly resolution since 1996,
including UNGA Resolution 58/53 on 8 December 2003.
Uganda submitted its annual Article 7 transparency report on 30 April 2004
covering the period from 23 July 2003 to 1 May 2004. This was Uganda’s
third Article 7 report; its initial report was submitted more than two years
late.[4]
Uganda has not participated in extensive States Parties discussions on
matters of interpretation and implementation related to Articles 1, 2, and 3 of
the Mine Ban Treaty, dealing with the issues of joint military operations with
non-States Parties, antivehicle mines with sensitive fuzes or antihandling
devices, and the permissible number of mines retained for training. In an
interview with Landmine Monitor, a Ugandan official stated that Uganda
“continues to implement the provisions of Article 1,” but could not
comment on Uganda’s understanding of the prohibition on
“assisting” with mine use, despite Ugandan involvement in fighting
in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 1999 and 2000, where mines were
used extensively.[5] With
regard to retained mines under Article 3, the official said, “Uganda
supports the position already taken by African states which have called for a
minimum number of retained mines to be of a bare minimum and not in
thousands.”[6] Uganda has
not made known its position on antivehicle mines with sensitive fuzes.
Uganda is a party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW), but has
not ratified Amended Protocol II on landmines. It does not regularly attend CCW
meetings, reportedly due to lack of
funds.[7]
Use
Landmines were used by both government forces and the National Resistance
Army in the early 1980s, and by rebel forces since that time in northern and
western Uganda. The government is not believed to have used antipersonnel mines
inside Uganda in recent years.
In 2000 and 2001, Landmine Monitor reported serious and credible allegations
indicating a strong possibility of Ugandan use of antipersonnel mines in the
Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly in the June 2000 battle for
Kisangani.[8] The government
denied such use, but at the Third Meeting of States Parties in September 2001
said that it supported the ICBL’s suggestion that a full investigation be
carried out.[9] Subsequently,
at a February 2002 Standing Committee meeting, Uganda informed States Parties of
a joint Uganda-Rwanda commission to look into the conduct of the fighting in the
DRC, which would also investigate the allegations of landmine use. At a May
2002 Standing Committee meeting, Uganda reported that the commission had not yet
responded on the landmine issue.
[10]
At the Fifth Meeting of States Parties in September 2003, ICBL expressed
disappointment that Uganda had made no further public statements regarding the
allegations or the investigation. Invoking the right of reply, Uganda told
States Parties: “You may appreciate the various initiatives that the
involved countries have put in place to ease the tensions that had prevailed.
In the interest of the established mechanisms to ease the tensions, it was
deemed inopportune to continue with the process that would jeopardize the
healing process. In the interest of both parties involved, the report of the
commission has not been made public. However, in the May 2003 intersessional
meetings, we reported how we had seized some antipersonnel mines in our areas of
operation and had appropriately destroyed them with the help of Handicap
International in full compliance with the Mine Ban Treaty. You may also
appreciate the fact that Uganda fully withdrew from the DRC, and the UN is now
in full control of our former areas of
operation.”[11]
Use by Non-State Actors
The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) has waged an armed struggle against
the government for 18 years in northern Uganda, often from bases in southern
Sudan and, in the past, with the support of the government of Sudan. In 2002,
conflict intensified, with renewed and increased reports of use of antipersonnel
mines by the LRA. In the same year, the LRA extended its activities eastwards
to Lira district and finally to the Teso region of eastern Uganda (Katakwi,
Soroti and Kaberamaido districts).
An agreement was reached in 2002 between the governments of Uganda and Sudan,
allowing Ugandan army units to pursue LRA units into Sudan under
“Operation Iron Fist.” In 2003, Landmine Monitor cited UDPF reports
on the number of antipersonnel and antivehicle mines recovered through these
operations.[12] The Protocol to
extend Operation Iron Fist was renewed for the eighth time in September 2003.
In a January 2004 interview, a UPDF official indicated that in 2003 the LRA
had used fewer landmines than in previous years, not because of lack of stocks,
but due to lack of time for the rebels to plant the mines, the poor condition of
LRA mines, and unfavorable
weather.[13] In February 2004,
Uganda claimed that the LRA was laying new antipersonnel mines in the north, and
that this was having a negative impact on the resettlement of internally
displaced people.[14]
In 1999 and 2000, Landmine Monitor reported that two other rebel
groups—the Allied Democratic Forces, based in the DRC, and the West Nile
Bank—had used landmines in their fighting against the government.
Production and Transfer
Uganda produced antipersonnel mines until at least 1995 at a state-run
production facility, the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC), located at
Nakasongora. Uganda is not known to have exported antipersonnel mines, and a
factory official claimed it never sold the landmines it
produced.[15] Landmine Monitor
reported allegations of ongoing landmine production at the facility after 1995,
which were denied by the
government.[16] In its May 2002
Article 7 Report, Uganda reported that the decommissioning of its landmine
production facilities was
completed.[17]
Stockpiling and Destruction
In 2003, Landmine Monitor reported on the process leading up to the
destruction of Uganda’s stockpiles. With Canada’s assistance,
destruction of 6,383 mines was completed in July 2003, in advance of its
treaty-mandated deadline of 1 August 2003; 1,764 antipersonnel mines were
reportedly retained for training
purposes.[18] The destruction
was funded by Canada, Germany and the UNDP. Canada also provided technical
assistance.[19]
Non-State Actor Stocks
Antipersonnel mines continue to be recovered from the Lord’s Resistance
Army by the Ugandan People’s Defense Forces in northern Uganda. In May
2004, the UPDF told Landmine Monitor that in 2003 it had recovered from the LRA
99 antipersonnel mines and 35 antitank mines, and in 2004, up to May, 58
antipersonnel mines and nine antitank mines. Many of these mines were in poor
condition, mainly because of poor storage, but some were new. All the recovered
mines were destroyed in
Gulu.[20] Another military
official said that most of the recovered mines had inscriptions from Sudan,
followed by Iran, USSR and one from the
US.[21]
Landmine Problem, Survey and Assessment
The number and exact location of landmines are not known, but according to a
July 2004 reports of a United Nations assessment mission, there are three main
areas reporting mine/UXO contamination: 1) Luwero district north of Kampala is
affected by UXO remaining from an internal conflict in the 1980s; 2) the western
Rwensori Mountains are affected as a result of infiltration in the late 1990s by
the United Democratic Forces; and 3) the northern region (districts of Gulu,
Kitgum, and Pader) and eastern region (Katakwi, Soroti and Kaberamaido
districts) are affected by eighteen years of LRA
activity.[22]
Although there has been no systematic national survey of the landmine problem
in Uganda, there were three assessment missions in 2003 and 2004. The UK-based
NGO Mines Awareness Trust (MAT) carried out an assessment in Kasese district in
western Uganda from 15–23 January 2003, hosted by the Anti-Mine
Network–Rwenzori
(AMNET-R).[23] MAT reported
that the antipersonnel mines found in the Rwenzori region included: No. 4,
PMN-2, Type 72, POMZ, PROM-1 and MON
100/200.[24] During the
assessment mission, MAT trained AMNET-R volunteers in marking and mapping areas
contaminated by landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO), and donated one laptop
computer and a compass. These volunteers have started work in Kisinga and
Ihandiro sub-counties.[25]
The UK-based Mines Advisory Group (MAG) carried out a needs assessment in
February–March 2003. MAG reported that Kasese was more contaminated with
UXO than landmines.[26]
Previously, in May 2001, MAG carried out the first mine assessment mission in
Uganda. MAG found some mined areas in northern and western Uganda, and its
conclusion that the “problem is not acute, but is causing deaths and
injuries in these areas” spurred more funding for NGO mine risk education
and victim support
programs.[27]
From 30 March to 7 April 2004, the United Nations carried out an Inter-Agency
Assessment Mission in Uganda. The mission report was released in July 2004, and
draws on the MAT and MAG
assessments.[28] The UN states
there are three areas reporting mine/UXO problems in Uganda: the Luwero district
north of Kampala, due to fighting between government forces and the National
Resistance Army in the early 1980s; the Mount Rwenzori area in western Uganda,
where the ADF was active in the late 1990s; and northern Uganda, where the LRA
has been operating for the past 18 years. The “Luwero Triangle” is
contaminated with UXO, but the extent of the problem is not well known. The
Rwenzori Mountain area, referred to as “The Mountains of the Moon”
and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has a limited mine problem and
significant UXO problem.[29]
Northern Uganda is the most contaminated area, affected by antipersonnel mines,
antivehicle mines and UXO.
Mine Clearance, Coordination and Planning
Uganda has no mine action center or central coordination of mine action.
Responsibility for the issue falls within five government bodies: Office of the
Prime Minister/Disaster Management, Ministry of Internal Affairs/Focal Point on
Small Arms and Light Weapons, Ministry of Health/Disability Office, Ministry of
Defense/UPDF Engineering Section, and, Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Disarmament
Office. Both the 2003 MAG and 2004 UN assessment missions stressed the need for
setting up a national coordination center for mine action and the importance of
having a national mine action
plan.[30]
The UPDF conducts all landmine clearance activities, in response to reports
of suspicious items that have been found. The relatively small-scale, sporadic
nature of landmine use in the country determines the UPDF’s approach. In
1999, a specialized unit of the mechanized division of the UPDF was trained in
mine clearance techniques. Manual clearance has been supported by minesweeper
vehicles. The 2004 UN mine assessment mission was of the opinion that this was
an appropriate response to the Ugandan
situation.[31]
However, both the 2003 MAG and 2004 UN missions noted that mine clearance by
the UPDF was not up to internationally-accepted standards, and that the UPDF
lacked appropriate equipment and needed training in modern mine/UXO clearance
techniques. The UN assessment team also thought that other mine clearance
methods, such as use of detection dogs, could be introduced. With regard to
training in mine clearance techniques, the UN team encouraged the Ugandan
government to seek bilateral military assistance (such as the ongoing UK and US
training programs within the Kenyan
military).[32]
At the February 2004 intersessional Standing Committee meetings in Geneva,
the Ugandan delegation reported that with the return of peace to the western
frontier, limited demining by the military was going on in that area, mainly the
clearing of roads. In 2002, 111 mines were removed and in 2003, 120 mines were
removed. Uganda is seeking international support in order to expand mapping and
demining in the western
zone.[33]
The only previous demining statistics appeared in the 2001 MAG assessment,
which reported that between June 2000 and April 2001 in Gulu and Kitgum
Districts, the UPDF found 10 antivehicle mines, 141 antipersonnel mines and 117
antipersonnel fuzes. The UPDF identified No. 4, Type 69 and T-79 antipersonnel
mines, and PRB-M3, TM-46 and Type 72 antivehicle
mines.[34]
Mine Risk Education
Mine risk education (MRE) is the only coordinated mine action activity in
Uganda. Since Landmine Monitor began reporting, MRE has been delivered by a
combination of government bodies, and international and local NGOS, including
the Ministry of Health, district governments and local councils, UPDF, the Red
Cross (local and international), International Physicians for the Prevention of
Nuclear War (IPPNW-Uganda), the International Service Volunteers Association
(AVSI), Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief (CPAR-Uganda), AMNET-R, Uganda
National Association of Community and Occupational Health (UNACOH) and Injury
Control Center Uganda (ICC-U).
In its April 2004 Article 7 report, Uganda stated: “The Ministry of
Health and various international and local NGOs have been involved in mine
awareness campaign to reduce risk in injuries in the affected communities.
Measures include mine awareness training of trainers, community sensitization,
targeting community leaders and distribution of sensitization
materials.”[35]
In 2003 and 2004, mine risk education activities continued in northern
Uganda, especially in Gulu and Kitgum districts. Training is carried out by
AVSI and the Ministry of Health, in close collaboration with the office of the
District Rehabilitation Officer (DRO), the UPDF, and other NGOs and
Community-Based Organizations
(CBOs).[36] MRE teams are
typically composed of an AVSI staff member, the DRO and one technical consultant
from the UPDF 4th Division Engineering Department. In addition to posters and
booklets, radio programs and jingles were also developed to spread awareness,
including two short songs performed by local artists in the Luo language.
Increased awareness in communities has led to increased numbers of antipersonnel
mines and UXO being reported to and removed by UPDF engineers, and a reduction
in injuries.[37]
From 2001 to the end of September 2003, AVSI reported that 60 awareness
workshops had been conducted in Kitgum, Pader and Gulu districts, and 2,055
people had received mine risk education. Trainees included 1,140 teachers, 507
local political leaders, 176 NGO staff, 112 from youth groups and 72 religious
leaders.[38]
In 2003 CPAR, working in collaboration with UNACOH and IPPNW, conducted MRE
in Gulu, Kitgum, Pader and Kasese districts. This project is part of the
Integrated Landmine Awareness and Survivor Support Programme supported by the
Canadian International Development Agency
(CIDA).[39] CPAR reports that
4,800 people attended MRE sessions in 2003, including 1,800 children. The
program includes radio talks as well as training of decision-makers and MRE
educators in schools; sub-county, county and district
levels.[40] An external
evaluation of the program is reported to have taken place in 2003. Results and
measures taken after the evaluation are
unknown.[41]
In western Uganda, AMNET-R has continued mine risk education in Kasese
District, but on a smaller scale than in the past, due to limited resources,
training only 22 teachers in 10 schools in
2003.[42] In 2003, MRE was
carried out in Kitholi, Kisinga and Ihandiro sub-counties. Emphasis has been
mainly on sensitizing communities, especially school children and those going
back to their gardens in the mountains. The school children have been taught to
make their own MRE posters to take home and pass on information to their
communities. AMNET-R plans to extend MRE throughout the Rwenzori region
(districts of Kasese, Bundibugyo and Kabarole), if it secures
funding.[43]
According to the Ministry of Health, in the period 2002–2003, over
17,000 booklets and 30,000 posters were distributed in the
country.[44]
In 2002, Landmine Monitor reported there were 1,778 MRE community educators
for Kasese, Kitgum, Pader and Gulu, including 153 sub-county level educators,
715 primary school teachers, and 620
others.[45] Prior to 2001, MRE
activities were more sporadic; a base of community educators and resources first
needed to be established.[46]
Levels of mine risk education in Uganda have been and continue to be affected by
erratic funding, insurgency in the north and, in 2000 and 2001, an outbreak of
Ebola disease.
The 2004 UN Inter-Agency assessment team noted that mine risk education is
key to mine action, and suggested that MRE capacity in Uganda should be
expanded. The team also noted the need for UN agencies (UN Mine Action Service,
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and UNICEF) to plan for
MRE for refugees from Sudan and the
DRC.[47]
Uganda reports that MRE has been instrumental in providing the army with
information about mines and UXO to be removed, with the amount of mines/UXO
reported and recovered rising from 31 in 2001 to 111 in
2002.[48]
Mine Action Funding
There has been little direct international support for mine action in Uganda
since 1999, and overall funding levels remain modest. Canada has been a steady
supporter of mine action in Uganda, donating a total of US$474,620 from 1998 to
2003. Canada has provided the following funding to Uganda: in 1998, $84,228;
in 1999, $50,475 for the development of an information database for program
planning and resource allocation; in 2000, $16,833 to MAG for its assessment
mission; in 2001, $117,833, including $116,248 for mine risk education and
victim assistance and $1,585 to MAG; in 2002, $118,125 for victim assistance
activities; and in 2003, $87,066 for victim assistance and stockpile
destruction.[49]
The UN Mine Action Investments database records that Uganda received $262,400
from the European Union in 1998, and $74,453 from Austria in 2001 for mine
action.[50]
The total budget for mine risk education activities in northern Uganda in
2003 was €12,000 (US$13,600), of which €7,000 went for training,
€3,500 for educational materials, and €1,500 for radio programs and
other tools.[51]
In 2003 in western Uganda, AMNET-R received a number of material and
financial donations from local and international individuals and groups for MRE,
victim assistance and landmine
mapping.[52]
In 2003, AVSI continued a program started in July 1998 that provides medical
rehabilitation for war victims in northern Uganda. The project was funded by
AVSI ($146,330 in 2002).[53]
AVSI has also received funding from the European Commission Humanitarian Aid
Office (ECHO) for printing educational materials, and from USAID and the Italian
government for mine action.[54]
In 2001, Landmine Monitor reported that UNICEF provided at least $10,000 for
MRE, and IPPNW provided US$12,500 to IPPNW-Uganda for advocacy work, victim
assistance and documenting landmine
casualties.[55] In 1999-2000,
IPPNW-Uganda received $8,500 in grants from IPPNW and the Charity Project
(through MAG) for mine action work, including funding to strengthen the Uganda
Campaign to Ban Landmines.[56]
Landmine Casualties
In 2003, AVSI recorded 53 civilian mine/UXO survivors in Gulu, Kitgum, Pader,
Lira, Kaberamaido, Katakwi, and Soroti districts; seven were under 10 years of
age.[57] At least two people
were killed and five injured in reported mine incidents in
2002;[58] and in 2001, 32 new
mine/UXO casualties were reported in Gulu, Kasese, Kitgum and Adjumani
districts.[59] The reported
casualties figure is likely understated, as there is no comprehensive data
collection system in Uganda. Limited information is available from general
hospital records maintained according to the Health Management Information
System, media reports, and information collected by NGOs.
Other mine casualties reported in 2003 included three people admitted to the
Katakwi Health Center IV in eastern Uganda; all later died of their
injuries.[60] Also in Katakwi
district, on 29 October 2003, three people including a UPDF soldier were killed
when the pickup truck they were traveling in hit a mine at Amillimil. The owner
of the vehicle and the driver were seriously
injured.[61] In northern
Uganda, at Gulu regional referral hospital, a 9-year-old child required an above
knee amputation after being injured by a landmine while picking coconuts on 9
February 2003.[62] At St.
Mary’s Lacor Hospital, Gulu district four mine casualties were treated in
2003, including two soldiers who were injured in April and two civilians who
were injured in May and
June.[63] At Gulu Military
Hospital in 2003, 16 landmine casualties were treated; all were soldiers and all
survived the incident.[64] In
Kitgum District, one mine casualty was admitted to Kitgum Hospital in February
2003. Between August 2003 and January 2004, of 246 people admitted to the
hospital with war-related injuries, five were due to mine
injuries.[65] In June 2003, at
least five people were killed and 19 others seriously injured when a bus hit a
landmine in northern Uganda.[66]
In early 2003, a Ugandan soldier was killed in a landmine blast in the
DRC.[67]
Casualties continue to be reported in 2004. In February 2004, a soldier was
killed and a driver seriously injured in Lira district when a vehicle hired by a
BBC crew was destroyed after hitting a
landmine.[68] From January to
the beginning of September, AVSI identified 20 new mine survivors, including
five children.[69]
The total number of landmine casualties in Uganda is not known. It is
estimated that since 1998, 425 people have been killed by
mines.[70] Statistics from
northern Uganda identified 385 people with amputations as a result of mine or
UXO incidents between 1999 and 2003. Landmines are reportedly the major single
cause of injury and disability in the
region.[71] Information from
AVSI and hospital records indicate that at least 328 mine casualties occurred in
Kitgum and Gulu districts of north-western Uganda between 1991 and 1998, with
219 casualties (67 percent) occurring in 1996 and
1997.[72]
Survivor Assistance
The public health system in the mine-affected areas of northern and western
Uganda is ill- equipped to handle landmine casualties, although basic health
facilities are found in hospitals throughout the country. In the most
mine-affected districts of Gulu, Kitgum and Pader, most of the health facilities
have deteriorated after nearly 18 years of armed conflict, and some facilities
are understaffed and lack equipment and supplies. First aid and emergency
facilities are inadequate due to a lack of equipment, supplies, trained
personnel and transport.[73]
However, in Kasese district in western Uganda, most of the health facilities are
operating reasonably well. Casualties often have to travel long distances before
reaching health facilities that can provide adequate medical attention.
A review of health facilities in eastern Uganda from June to October 2003
revealed inadequate first aid, emergency care, and ambulance services. Most
war-related casualties were transported to hospital in army trucks,
passenger/goods trucks or on bicycles. The review also showed that only 3
percent of patients with war-related injuries reach a hospital in less than two
hours after the injury, 53 percent had no pre-hospital care, and only 39 percent
had their wounds covered on arrival at the
hospital.[74]
The Ministry of Health, with support from various development partners
including WHO, UNICEF, UNDP, the World Bank, and the African Development Bank,
is trying to improve existing health facilities and build new facilities across
the country, especially in mine-affected rural
areas.[75]
The ICRC, through the Uganda Red Cross, continues to provide medical and
surgical supplies in the conflict areas. Since 1999, hospitals and clinics in
Gulu, Bundibugyo, Kasese, Kitgum, Mbale and Pader have benefited; 63 military
and civilian surgeons from hospitals in the conflict zones attended a
war-surgery seminar organized in 1999 in cooperation with the Ugandan
Association of Surgeons. First aid and nurse aid training has also been
provided. Since 2000, ICRC-supported hospitals treated 112 mine casualties: two
in 2003; 18 in 2002; 22 in 2001; and 70 in
2000.[76]
There are five main orthopedic facilities in Uganda, and seven smaller
facilities, but only two are in the mine-affected areas. There are 18
orthopedic surgeons to serve the needs of the entire country; none are based in
the mine-affected areas. While some medical and physical care is available,
there are limited opportunities for psychosocial support and economic
reintegration. Access to facilities due to remoteness, lack of transport or
difficult terrain has been identified as a problem for mine survivors,
particularly in western Uganda. Access is also hampered by a lack of knowledge
of existing rehabilitation centers and other available services. In the north,
the District Rehabilitation Office provides some community outreach and
psychosocial support in Gulu; in 2003, the budget was UShs2,000,000
($1,100).[77]
It would appear that the capacity of the orthopedic workshops is insufficient
to meet the demand. Of the 1,183 amputees (323 mine survivors) identified
between July 1998 and May 2003 in northern Uganda, only 629 (54 percent) have
been fitted with prostheses; 221 (35 percent) were landmine
survivors.[78]
Between 1998 and the end of 2001, the ICRC supported the Fort Portal, Gulu,
and Mbarara Regional Orthopedic workshops with training, equipment, materials
and renovation of facilities. During this time, the three centers produced 569
prostheses, including 205 for mine survivors: 235 prostheses (72 for mine
survivors) in 2001; 217 prostheses (78 for mine survivors) in 2000; and 117 (55
for mine survivors) in 1999. Before handing over responsibility to the Ministry
of Health in December 2001, the centers were equipped with implements and
sufficient raw materials to continue the fitting of amputees for at least
another year.[79]
In 2002, the Fort Portal orthopedic workshop provided 100 prostheses.
However, between January and April 2003 only seven prostheses were fitted. The
reduced numbers were reportedly due to a lack of logistical support to transport
and maintain amputees at the workshop, a service that was previously provided by
the ICRC. The workshop reportedly has a shortage of technical staff, with only
two orthopedic technicians who also act as
physiotherapists.[80] At the
Mbale regional orthopedic workshop in eastern Uganda, two mine survivors were
assisted in 2003; none were assisted in 2002. Psychosocial support is also
available at the workshop.[81]
The Italian NGO Associazione Volontari per il Servizio Internazionale has
supported the Gulu Regional Workshop at the Gulu referral hospital since 1998
and carries out its program in thirteen districts of northern Uganda. The
program assists all war victims, including mine survivors, and includes first
aid and physiotherapy training, outreach clinics, physiotherapy, production of
orthopedic and assistive devices, psychosocial support, transport to and
accommodation at the workshop, and skills training. Even though working at full
capacity, the program is unable to meet the demand for services and many people
in need of assistance are forced to wait months for treatment. All services are
provided free-of-charge. In 2003, the workshop assisted 543 people, including
62 mine survivors; 350 people (59 mine survivors) were assisted in 2002, and in
2001, 180 people (56 mine survivors) were assisted. Between August 1999 and
2003, 579 prostheses were fitted: 193 in 2003, 120 in 2002, 144 in 2001, 88 in
2000, and 34 in 1999. In addition, 30 wheelchairs, 220 crutches, and 210 other
devices were distributed in 2003. More than 20 people have received skills
training. The program is funded by AVSI’s own resources, the European
Commission Humanitarian Aid Office, Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance,
and Italian cooperation. AVSI works with other partners including the
Rehabilitation Desk of the Ministry of Health, local authorities, UN agencies,
local NGOs, and Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief
(CPAR).[82]
In September 2001, Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief started an 18-month
integrated mine awareness and survivor assistance program in northern Uganda.
The objectives of the Integrated Landmine Awareness and Survivor Support Program
included strengthening local healthcare services, improving access to modified
sanitation facilities, capacity building, psychosocial support, vocational
training, and support for income generation activities in four districts in
northern Uganda: Gulu, Kitgum, Pader and Kasese districts. The program, which
ended in March 2003, assisted at least 477 landmine survivors; however,
increased insecurity in some districts limited
activities.[83] During the
course of the program, 70 health workers were trained in First Aid and emergency
care, 40 health workers and 15 Community Development Assistants were trained in
counseling skills, 100 family members of mine casualties received training in
counseling and first aid, and 25 local leaders from four sub-counties were
trained to support landmine survivors and raise awareness on their rights and
needs. Vocational training in tailoring and carpentry was provided to 150 mine
survivors, who also received equipment and tools to start small businesses. In
addition, 270 households with mine survivors were provided with seeds, plants
and farm implements. Ten local associations of mine survivors were established
to support revolving loan schemes and 100 mine survivors were trained in
micro-finance. Nearly 80 percent of survivors who received training and capital
have set up small-scale
businesses.[84] The program was
supported by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Canadian
Landmine Foundation, and IPPNW. In May 2004, CPAR received funding from CIDA
for a new three-year program to assist 300 mine survivors and their families in
Gulu District.[85]
The Kitende Hostels Project in Kasese district has assisted landmine
survivors with the fitting of prostheses since 1998. Mine survivors are taken
to the Fort Portal workshop, about 60 kilometers from Kasese district, for
prostheses. Since 2001, 159 mine survivors have been identified in the Kasese
district; 96 (60 percent) have been fitted with prostheses. The Kasese district
is mountainous, making mobility difficult for survivors with prostheses; many
continue to need crutches or other assistive
devices.[86]
Local NGOs are also assisting landmine survivors to form associations and
become self-sustaining. In Kasese district, through the encouragement of
AMNET-R, landmine survivors in Mukunyu sub-county formed the Mukunyu Landmines
and Amputee’s Development Association, which is engaged in a number of
income-generating projects, including growing coffee seedlings, and knitting
products for sale. The District local government awarded the association with
the tender to supply coffee seedlings to local farmers. Coffee is also sold to
raise funds for a micro-finance scheme available to members. AMNET-R has
provided training in business management skills. The association has 12
members. In Kalambi Sub County, 15 people with disabilities from the Kalambi
Landmine Survivors Association received skills training from AMNET-R to make and
sell handcrafts. Six members of the Kitholu Landmine Survivors Association are
raising goats for sale; others are engaged in carpentry work after a mine
survivor started a factory and trained others to make crutches and beds.
Survivors producing handcrafts for sale are reportedly limited by a lack of
funds to purchase raw materials, and a lack of transport to take their products
to markets.[87]
The Northern Uganda Association for Landmine Survivors provides skills
training in handcrafts, shoe shining and repair, and carpentry; some are
employed at the Gulu Orthopedic
Workshop.[88]
In April 2004, the Mines Awareness Trust in collaboration with AMNET-R
started a new one-year program in western Uganda with funding from the UK-based
Comic Relief. Activities will include providing transport to take mine
survivors to the orthopedic workshop in Fort Portal, and the transportation of
produce from income-generation activities to the local
markets.[89]
In northern Uganda, Margaret Arach, a landmine survivor and co-chair of the
ICBL Working Group on Victim Assistance, is actively involved in promoting mine
victim assistance both in Uganda and internationally. Arach, a graduate of the
Raising the Voices initiative, represents mine survivors at the national and
international level, and is actively involved in negotiations for the proposed
convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. In August 2002, Arach
helped create the Lira Landmine Survivors Association (LILASA) in Kampala.
Although initially planned for women mine survivors, it is now open to all
landmine survivors, and other persons with disabilities. LILASA has 46 members.
In 2003, with support from AVSI, LILASA received five sewing machines for their
tailoring workshop. A carpentry section has also been started with support
from the National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda. LILASA is now formally
registered with the NGO Board in Kampala. Other activities include craft making
using local fibers/materials collected from the area at no cost. However,
suitable markets for the finished products are needed to obtain the best
price.[90]
The Uganda Veterans Assistance Board, an association of veteran soldiers, has
a medical rehabilitation program for disabled soldiers. The UPDF has a casualty
unit in Mubende specifically for disabled soldiers and a smaller one in
Nakasongola. The Ministry of Defense also has its own military hospitals at
Mbuya, Gulu and Bombo, where the government funds services for disabled
soldiers.[91]
In Kitgum district, the local council has allocated funding to a local NGO,
GUU Foundation, to provide orthopedic devices, wheelchairs and crutches for
landmine survivors.[92] The
CARITAS Gulu branch provides emergency medical care and socioeconomic
reintegration in northern
Uganda.[93] Other government
ministries, NGOs, and international agencies that assist landmine survivors and
other persons with disabilities include the Ministries of Labor and Social
Development, the Prime Minister’s Office (Department of Disaster
Preparedness and Refugees), Internal Affairs and Defense, WHO, UNICEF, Save the
Children Denmark, Save the Children UK, World Vision, NORAD, UNACOH, ICC-Uganda,
St. John’s Ambulance and GUSCO.
Disability Policy and Practice
The rights of persons with disabilities are protected by Uganda's
Constitution and eight disability laws. There is an inter-ministerial committee
on disability, composed of three ministries: the Ministry of Health, the
Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development, and the Ministry of Education
and Sports. A National Disability Council coordinates all disability activities
in the country.[94] A
disability policy was put in place in the year 2000. The five-year National
Health Sector Strategic Plan and the Uganda National Health Policy include
provisions for persons with
disabilities.[95] During the
Presidential elections of 2001, the president made pledges on special needs
education and on the National Disability Council; these became policy papers
after his re-election.[96]
However, a number of interest groups are urging the government and other
stakeholders to improve opportunities for people with disabilities. For
example, the Parliamentary Committee on Equal Opportunities requested that the
government consider giving people with disabilities protection and priority when
delivering relief services in war-affected areas, and that disabled soldiers are
re-integrated into the army or
community.[97]
The Ministry of Health is currently responsible for the coordination of
victim assistance activities in Uganda. At the intersessional Standing
Committee meetings in Geneva in February and June 2004, a representative of the
Rehabilitation and Disability Prevention Desk of the Ministry of Health
presented the challenges and plans to address the problems in providing adequate
assistance in Uganda, including: strengthening the disability policy and its
implementation; the need for a strategic plan; capacity building within the
government to sustain existing programs; funding for programs; increased support
for mine survivors, and other war-wounded, in terms of socio-economic,
psycho-social and rehabilitative services; providing disabled ex-combatants with
rehabilitation services; and, community-based rehabilitation in the
mine-affected areas.[98]
[1] Telephone interview with Capt. Kagoro
Asingura, Deputy Director, Legal Services, Uganda People’s Defense Forces
(UPDF), and Deputy National Coordinator on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW),
16 May 2004. [2] Interview with Dorah
Kutesa, First Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Geneva, 22 June
2004. [3] The Workshop on Landmines
and the Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines in East Africa,
the Great Lakes and the Horn of Africa Regions, held from 2-4 March in Nairobi,
Kenya, was co-organized by the ICRC and the government of Kenya, with the
support of the government of Canada. For past activities, see Landmine Monitor
Report 1999, pp. 90-91 and Landmine Monitor Report 2001, p.
161. [4] The initial Article 7 report,
which was due on 28 January 2000, was submitted on 24 May 2002, covering the
period 28 January 2000 to 24 May 2002. Its first annual updated report was
submitted on 24 July 2003, covering the period 24 May 2002 to 23 July
2003. [5] Interview with Dorah Kutesa,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 22 June
2004. [6] Ibid. The Africa position
is contained in a draft document entitled, “Africa’s Declaration for
a World Free of Antipersonnel Mines, Nairobi, 29 November 2004.”
[7] In-person and telephone
interviews with Dorah Kutesa, First Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 21
January 2002, November 2003, 27 January 2004, and 3 March
2004. [8] Landmine Monitor Report
2000, p. 115; Landmine Monitor Report 2001, pp. 163-165; Landmine Monitor Report
2002, pp. 501-502. [9] Statement by
Uganda Head of Delegation, Lt. Col. Ramandhan Kyamulesire, Ministry of Defense,
to the Third Meeting of States Parties, Managua, Nicaragua, 19 September
2001. [10] Landmine Monitor Report
2002, p. 502. [11] Statement entitled
“Right of Reply” by Capt. Asingura Kagoro, Fifth Meeting of States
Parties, Bangkok, Thailand, 18 September
2003. [12] Landmine Monitor Report
2003, p. 477. [13] Interview with
Capt. Wilson Kabeera, Field Engineer, UPDF Northern Uganda, 12 January
2004. [14] Statement by Uganda,
Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, Geneva, 12 February
2004. [15] Landmine Monitor Report
1999, p. 91. Uganda produced the PMD-6 and a plastic type of antipersonnel
mine. [16] Ibid; Landmine Monitor
Report 2000, p. 114; Landmine Monitor Report 2001, pp. 161-162; Landmine Monitor
Report 2002, p. 501. [17] Article 7
Report, Form E, 24 May 2002. [18]
Landmine Monitor Report 2003, p. 476. Uganda first revealed details about its
stockpile in May 2002 with its initial Article 7 report, when it declared a
stockpile of 6,782 mines, of which 4,382 would be destroyed and 2,400 mines
would be retained for training. In May 2003, Uganda announced that the number
of mines to be destroyed had increased to 5,592, due to new mines captured from
rebels. On 7 July 2003, Uganda carried out a destruction event at Kigo Prison
shooting range on the shores of Lake Victoria. Vice President Gilbert Bukenya
initiated the first detonation and government ministers, diplomats, army
officers, religious leaders and the media witnessed the event. A larger
detonation by the Army occurred later. At the event, Defense Minister Ruth
Nankabirwa reportedly said a total of 5,018 mines would be destroyed and the
remaining 1,764 antipersonnel mines would be retained for training purposes.
The Canadian government reported that the destruction certificate, dated 9 July
2003, indicates that 6,383 mines were
destroyed. [19] Telephone interview
with Capt. Kagoro Asingura, UPDF, Kampala, 6 July 2003; telephone interview with
Francis Wanyana, member of the National Focal Point on Small Arms and Light
Weapons, Kampala, 2 July 2003. [20]
Interviews with Capt. Wilson Kabeera, Field Engineer, UPDF Northern Uganda.
Kabeera was interviewed in Gulu on 18 May 2004 and reported that these are
immediately destroyed in the field. On 24 May 2004 he clarified that those in
bad condition are destroyed immediately in the field or at the barracks, but
those in good condition are displayed to the press before they are destroyed at
the army demolition range in Gulu (within the week). Most mines were recovered
before use. [21] Interview with Capt.
Wilson Kabeera, UPDF, 12 January
2004. [22] UN, “Report from the
Inter-Agency Mine Action Assessment Mission to Uganda,” July
2004. [23] Mines Awareness Trust,
“Western Uganda Assessment Report,” January
2003. [24] UN, “Assessment
Mission Report,” July 2004, p.
10. [25] MAT, “Western Uganda
Assessment Report,” January 2003; interview with Wilson Bwambale,
Coordinator, AMNET–R, Kasese, 24 January
2004. [26] Mines Advisory Group,
“MAG Assessment Report,” March 2003. Although it was termed a
“training needs assessment,” the report gives a general assessment
of mine action in Uganda. [27]
Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p.
502. [28] UN, “Assessment
Mission Report,” July 2004. [29]
Ibid. [30] Mines Advisory Group,
“MAG Assessment Report,” March 2003; UN Inter-Agency Assessment
Mission debriefing by Justin Brady, UNMAS, Kampala, 7 April
2004. [31] Debriefing by Justin Brady,
UNMAS, 7 April 2004. [32] MAG,
“MAG Assessment Report,” March 2003; Debriefing by Justin Brady,
UNMAS, 7 April 2004. [33]
Uganda’s Intervention, Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Risk
Education and Mine Action Technologies, Geneva, 11 February
2004. [34] Mines Advisory Group,
“MAG Uganda Assessment,” June 2001,
p.2. [35] Article 7 Report, Form I, 30
April 2004. [36] According to the
“AVSI Report 2003,” target groups for MRE include political,
traditional and religious leaders, NGOs, teachers, health workers and CBOs, IDP
camp leaders, youth and school
children. [37] Interviews with Capt.
Wilson Kabeera, UPDF, January and May 2004; Article 7 Report, Form I, 30 April
2004; “AVSI Report
2003.” [38] “AVSI Report
2003.” [39] CPAR, “Final
Report: Integrated Landmine Awareness and Survivor Support Program for northern
Uganda,” 1 October 2002 to 31 March 2003, p.
5. [40] Ibid, pp.
6-7. [41] Response to Landmine Monitor
Questionnaire by Tony Rogge and Gizaw Shibru, Manager PSU and Country Director,
CPAR, 18 August 2004. [42] Interview
with Wilson Bwambale, AMNET-R, 24 January 2004. In 2002, AMNET–R carried
out MRE workshops for 68 community leaders and 22 primary school teachers,
according to an interview with Wilson Bwambale, AMNET-R, 15 March
2002. [43] “AMNET-R Report
2003;” interview with Wilson Bwambale, AMNET–R, 24 January 2004;
Mines Awareness Trust, “Western Uganda Assessment Report,” January
2003. [44] Presentation of the update
report by Dr. Alice Ngamwa, Principal Medical Officer, Rehabilitation and
Disability Prevention Desk, Ministry of Health, to the Standing Committee on
Victim Assistance, Geneva, 23 June
2004. [45] AVSI Mine Action Program,
“Updated report on landmine issues in Northern Uganda,” January
2003. The “others” included 130 NGO staff, three catechists, 40
reverends, 40 Uganda Red Cross volunteers, 174 local council officials, 33 youth
counselors, and 200 community
members. [46] Landmine Monitor Report
1999, p. 94; Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p. 118; Landmine Monitor Report 2001,
pp. 167-168. [47] UN Inter-Agency
Assessment Mission debriefing by Justin Brady, Kampala, 7 April
2004. [48] Article 7 Report, Form I,
30 April 2004; ICRC and Government of Kenya, "Workshop on Landmines and the
Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines in East Africa, the Great
Lakes and the Horn of Africa regions, Nairobi, Kenya, 2-4 March 2004: Report and
Recommendations," undated, p. 19. [49]
UN Mine Action Investments Database, available at www.mineactioninvestments.org ,
accessed 5 September 2004; email from Elvan Isikozlu, Mine Action Team (ILX),
Foreign Affairs Canada, 5 August 2004, updating the 2003 figure. In 2003,
64,874 went to CPAR for victim assistance, and US$22,192 went to UNDP for
stockpile destruction. [50] UN Mine
Action Investments Database, available at www.mineactioninvestments.org,
accessed 22 July 2004. [51] Email from
Davide Naggi, Program Coordinator, AVSI Field Office Gulu, in response to
Landmine Monitor Survivor Assistance Questionnaire (provided to Landmine Monitor
Italy), 3 March 2004. [52]
“AMNET-R Report 2003;” interview with Wilson Bwambale, AMNET-R, 24
January 2004. Donations included computers, software, cameras, a compass, a
cassette recorder, funds for rent, a small loan fund for landmine survivors, and
training in human rights. Donors included MAT, HURINET-U, a local board member
and a German woman. [53] Email from
Davide Naggi, Program Coordinator, AVSI Field Office Gulu, in response to
Landmine Monitor Survivor Assistance Questionnaire (provided to Landmine Monitor
Italy), 1 March 2004. Partners in this program include the Ministry of
Health’s Rehabilitation Desk, local authorities, local and national
associations for disabled people, CPAR, Norwegian Refugee Council and World Food
Program. [54] Interview with Bernard
Ocen, DRO Gulu District, 29 December 2003; interview with Dr. Phillipo Chantia,
Country Representative, AVSI, Kampala, 5 April
2004. [55] Landmine Monitor Report
2001, p. 166. [56] Landmine Monitor
Report 2000, p. 117. [57] Email to
Landmine Monitor (HI) from Jeff Dixson, MRE Coordinator, AVSI Gulu, 9 September
2004; Davide Naggi, Program Coordinator, AVSI Field Office Gulu, response to
Landmine Monitor Survivor Assistance Questionnaire (provided to Landmine Monitor
Italy), 3 March 2004. [58] For details
see Landmine Monitor Report 2003, pp.
478-479. [59] For details see Landmine
Monitor Report 2002, p. 504. [60]
Interview with Florence Akello, Sister-in-charge, Katakwi Health Unit, Katakwi,
7 February 2004; health unit records for
2003. [61] Richard Otim, John Omoding
and Job Opolot “Kony Landmine kills three in Katakwi,” New Vision,
Vol.198, No. 258, 30 October
2003. [62] Interview with Dr Felix
Kaducu, Medical Superintendent, Gulu Hospital, 29 December 2003; hospital
records for 2003. [63] Review of St.
Mary’s Lacor hospital records for 2003, 29 December
2003. [64] Interview with George
Okello, Gulu Military Hospital, Gulu, 31 December 2003; hospital records for
2003. [65] Interviews with Dr Alex
Layo, Medical Officer, Kitgum Hospital, Kitgum, 5 April 2004 and 17 April 2003;
hospital records for 2003 and
2004. [66] “Land mine
deaths,” Liverpool Daily Post & Echo, 11 June
2003. [67] “Ituri Braces for
Ugandan Pullout,” IRIN, 17 April
2003. [68] Emmy Allio, “BBC crew
vehicle hit in Lira,” New Vision, Vol.19, No. 50, 28 February 2003, p.
3. [69] Email to Landmine Monitor (HI)
from Jeff Dixson, MRE Coordinator, AVSI Gulu, 9 September
2004. [70] “Report from the
Inter-Agency Mine Action Assessment Mission to Uganda,” July 2004, p.
11. [71] Dr. Alice Nganwa, Principal
Medical Officer, Rehabilitation and Disability Prevention Desk, Ministry of
Health, presentation to the Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and
Socio-Economic Reintegration, Geneva, 23 June 2004; United Nations,
“Report from the Inter-Agency Mine Action Assessment Mission to
Uganda,” July 2004, p. 2. [72]
AVSI and hospital records (1991-1998), see Landmine Monitor Report 1999, pp.
94-95. Mine casualties from southern Sudan are also treated in northern Uganda;
it is not known if any of the reported casualties are of Sudanese
origin. [73] Statement by Dorah
Kutesa, First Secretary, MOFA, at the Workshop on Landmines and the Convention
on the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines in East Africa, the Great Lakes and
the Horn of Africa Regions, Nairobi, Kenya, 2-4 March 2004; see also previous
editions of Landmine Monitor Report.
[74] Presentations by Drs. Fred
Kirya, Joseph Epodoi and S. Okia at a workshop for surgeons, Mukona, August
2003; Soroti Regional Hospital
records. [75] Uganda Ministry of
Health, “Health Sector Strategic Plan 2000/2001–2004/05,” 5
August 2000. [76] Email to Landmine
Monitor (HI) from Alice Grainger Gasser, ICRC, Geneva, 27 July 2004; ICRC,
“Annual Report 2003,” Geneva, July 2004, p. 101; ICRC Special
Reports, “Mine Action 2002,” ICRC, Geneva, July 2003, p. 27;
“Mine Action 2001,” July 2002, p. 22; “Mine Action
2000,” July 2001, p. 19; “Mine Action 1999,” August 2000, p.
24. [77] United Nations, “Report
from the Inter-Agency Mine Action Assessment Mission to Uganda,” July
2004, p. 14; interview with Bernard Ocen, DRO Gulu District, Gulu, 29 December
2003. [78] Presentation of Dr. Alice
Nganwa, Principal Medical Officer, Rehabilitation and Disability Prevention
Desk, Ministry of Health, to the Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and
Socio-Economic Reintegration, Geneva, 10 February
2004. [79] ICRC Physical
Rehabilitation Programs, “Annual Report 2001,” Geneva, 14 April
2002; “Annual Report 2000,” 31 March 2000; “Annual Report
1999,” 31 March 2000, p.
11. [80] Interview with Dr. Shaban
Abdallah, Resident Surgeon, Fort Portal Regional Hospital, and Patrick Oidi,
Orthopedic Technician and Workshop Manager, Fort Portal Orthopedic Workshop, 29
April 2003. [81] Interview with David
Muzira, Senior Orthopedic Technician, Mbale Regional Orthopedic Workshop, Mbale,
February 2004; Mbale Regional Orthopedic Workshop records for 2003; interview
with David Muzira, Senior Orthopedic Technician, and Grace Ogwang, Orthopedic
Assistant, Mbale Regional Workshop, 22 January
2003. [82] Davide Naggi, Program
Coordinator, AVSI Field Office Gulu, responses to Landmine Monitor Survivor
Assistance Questionnaire (provided to Landmine Monitor Italy), 3 March 2004, 15
March 2003, and 7 March 2002; “AVSI Humanitarian Mine Action Program
Summary Report,” pp. 4 and 7, presented at the Uganda Mine Action Team
meeting, Kampala, 19 August 2004. [83]
Interview with Otenya Alex, Program Officer, CPAR, Gulu, 17 April
2003. [84] CPAR, “Final Report:
Integrated Landmine Awareness and Survivor Support Program for northern
Uganda,” 1 October 2002 to 31 March
2003. [85] Cornes Lubangakene,
“Landmine victims aided,” New Vision, 14 July
2004. [86] Interview with Wilson
Bwambale, AMNET-R, 24 January 2004; AMNET-R report 2003; interview with Aaron
Mukababebwa Muhindo, Coordinator, Kitende Hostels Project Landmine Victim
Program, Kasese town, 15 June
2002. [87] Interview with Wilson
Bwambale, AMNET-R, 24 January 2004; AMNET-R report
2003. [88] Interview with Bernard
Ocen, District Rehabilitation Office, Gulu District, Gulu, 29 December
2003. [89] Interview with Wilson
Bwambale, AMNET-R, and Ben Remfrey, Operations Director, MAT, Kampala, 7 April
2004; interview with Nelson Munduki, AMNET-R, Gulu, 18 May 2004; telephone
interview with Nelson Munduki, 24 May 2004; “Shs. 1 billion for Blast
Victims,” New Vision, Vol. 19, No. 77, 1 April 2004, p.
1. [90] Emails to Landmine Monitor
(HI) from Margaret Arach, 28 July 2004 and 18 June
2003. [91] Landmine Monitor Report
2000, p. 120. [92] Interview with
District Community Development Officer, Kitgum, 23 January
2002. [93] Interview with Walter
Anywar, Coordinator, CARITAS, Gulu, 19 November
2002. [94] Interview with Benon
Ndaziboneye, Program Officer, National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda, 4
January 2000; interview with Peter Oyaro, Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social
Development, Kampala, 20 December
1999. [95] Interview with Benon
Ndaziboneye, Program Officer, National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda, 8
December 2000. [96] Interview with
Benon Ndeziboneye, Senior Program Officer, Action on Disability and Development,
1 February 2002. [97] Milton Olupot,
“MPs Appeal to army on landmine victims,” New Vision, 21 November
2002. [98] Presentation of Dr. Alice
Nganwa, Principal Medical Officer, Rehabilitation and Disability Prevention
Desk, Ministry of Health, to the Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and
Socio-Economic Reintegration, Geneva, 10 February and 23 June 2004.
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