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In 2006 we visited Uganda as part of our inquiry into Conflict and Development: peacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction. A 20 year conflict between the Government of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in the north had resulted in a severe humanitarian crisis—25,000 children had been abducted by the LRA during the course of the conflict and 1.7 million people at the time of our visit were living in camps for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) where crude and infant mortality levels were well above expected emergency rates.
Since our visit the Juba peace process has begun. This is seen by many as the best chance yet to achieve peace. We welcome these talks and encourage both parties to approach them in good faith. We also welcome the international community's financial and moral support for the talks.
Arrest warrants, sought by the Government of Uganda and issued by the newly established International Criminal Court (ICC), for the LRA leadership have helped to bring the parties to the negotiating table. We support the ICC and encourage it to use existing statutes to determine the most appropriate international standards of justice while recognising the implications of its decisions for the peace process.
We have particular concerns about the impact of the conflict on children and recommend that their needs become a focus of the Department for International Development's post-conflict programme.
Northern Uganda has been economically devastated. The prospects for sustainable development in Uganda are dependent on significant resources being channelled to the region. The Government of Uganda's Peace, Recovery and Development Plan is welcome. The final plan must reflect the views of northern Ugandan elected representatives, civil society and the wider population if it is to be effective. Donors have a role to play in monitoring the implementation of the plan and in ensuring that, along with the UN, they put forward a coordinated strategy for the transition from humanitarian to development assistance.
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