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19 April 2001
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Commission on Human Rights
57th session
Geneva, 19 April 2001
Statement of the High Commissioner
for Human Rights Pursuant to
Resolution 2000/60, on the Abduction
of children from northern Uganda
The OHCHR Mission on the abduction of children in northern Uganda was undertaken in response to a request of the Commission on Human Rights (res. 2000/60) asking OHCHR to carry out an assessment of the situation on the ground in the affected areas. In the course of its work the Mission visited Uganda, Sudan and Nairobi (Kenya) from 17 March to 6 April 2001. It was undertaken in close consultation with and the participation of UNICEF and the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. The report of the Mission is being prepared and will be issued as a document of the Commission. In the meantime, I am pleased to share with the Commission this preliminary presentation of the Mission and its findings.
Basic characteristics of the problem
The Abducted Children Registration and Information System, a database developed and maintained jointly by UNICEF and the Government of Uganda, estimates that about one-third of the 26,365 cases of abduction recorded in the database involve children under the age of 18 (8,788 cases). Roughly 20 per cent of the recorded abductees are female.
This year alone, if there is no change, hundreds of children, both boys and girls, will most probably be abducted by the Lord=s Resistance Army (LRA). Many of them will ultimately perish in the bush, either as a result of the harsh living conditions or at the hands of other captives. Current estimates put the strengths of the LRA at around 200 to 300 operating within Uganda and about 800 operating in southern Sudan. The vast majority of LRA fighters and camp followers are either children or were children at the time of their abduction into the movement.
The Mission heard that children abducted by the LRA are forced to carry out attacks in their home villages, and to kill any child who attempts to escape. Many of those who had escaped reported being terrorized, tied up and forced to carry heavy loads. Many also reported beatings during the march through the bush. In some cases children have been beaten to death for attempting to escape. Many of the escaped children with whom the Mission met were injured. There were reports of long term and serious disabilities as a result of injuries incurred.
Most women and girls who have been abducted and retained by the LRA are taken to serve as "wives" for the LRA commanders. Those who do not comply with the sexual demands made on them are beaten or killed. It is reported that many babies have been born in the LRA camps, and for those young women who would otherwise try to escape and return to their families, the social stigma of having become pregnant under such circumstances reportedly adds to their reluctance and fear to return home. A large part of the estimated 6000 missing children are presumed to be dead.
Despite the system of terror that reigns within the camps and the deadly punishment for showing disloyalty, children do escape from the LRA and make their way to freedom. A total of 123 such persons, including both adults and children, who have escaped in southern Sudan during 2000-2001, have become part of a programme of repatriation to Uganda. Nineteen of those individuals are small children or babies who were born in the camps and escaped with their mothers. Most of the remaining adolescents and adults spent from two to four years in the camps before escaping.
Efforts of Member States, international organizations, humanitarian bodies and other concerned parties
Member States, international organizations, humanitarian bodies and other parties concerned have made important efforts to improve the situation of abducted children and assist victims.
Bilateral agreements have been concluded between the Government of Sudan and the Government of Uganda aimed at improving relations and, in particular, at returning abducted children to their homes. Chief among these are the Agreement between the Governments of Sudan and Uganda, signed on 8 December 1999 in Nairobi, Kenya; and the Record of Commitments Made, signed in Nairobi on 19 November 2000. There was also a Joint Communiqué on Immediate Action on Abducted Children, which was signed on 17 September 2000 in Winnepeg, Canada, which led to further meetings between the two countries as well as with representatives of the Governments of Canada, Egypt and Libya.
The Mission was able to confirm that substantial progress has been achieved in the implementation of the two Nairobi agreements. However, urgent steps are needed to fully implement them. These include the establishment of the Observation Team as foreseen in the Record of Commitments Made, the purpose of which should be to observe whether there is any support, recruitment or other military activities in Uganda with respect to the Sudanese People=s Liberation Army (SPLA). This measure is of particular importance since the Mission also found that a general atmosphere of mistrust presently exists on both sides, focussing on as yet unfulfilled commitments.
In Uganda, significant steps have been taken towards the prevention of further abductions and the reintegration of child abductees who have escaped from the LRA. Throughout the major population centres in the affected areas, local organizations have formed to mobilize support and assistance to affected families and returning children. Local coordinating fora, such as the Joint Peace Forum in Kitgum, bring together organizations concerned to unify their message and efforts and decide on a division of labour. World Vision, Gulu Support for Children Organization (GUSCO) and Kitgum Concerned Women Association (KICWA) are examples of the many non-governmental organizations working with the returned child abductees and providing them with psychological and social support.
The Ugandan Amnesty Act, adopted on 21 January 2001, and the Commission created thereunder represent an important initiative facilitating the return of abducted children. Amnesty has been provided for anyone who abandons armed rebellion and surrenders his or her arms. It should be noted that the Amnesty Act and the reconciliation process has the strong and determined support of all the organizations in the north with whom the Mission met and, reportedly, among the general public as well.
A Child Protection Unit has been established in Headquarters of the 4th Ugandan Army. The Unit is responsible for the care of child abductees secured as a result of military operations. The work of the Unit has been enhanced as a result of the child-rights and humanitarian training carried out with army personnel deployed in northern Uganda.
The Government of Sudan has created a reception centre in Juba in the South of the country to receive and process escapees. The return of LRA escapees through Khartoum, Sudan is being coordinated through the Humanitarian Aid Commission, which was set up by the Government of Sudan, and is assisted in particular by UNICEF and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Transit centres were established at Suba (outside Khartoum) in December 2000 for women and children and in March 2001 for adult men. A cut-off of support for the LRA in Sudan was also noted. However, more efforts are needed to disarm and disband the LRA forces inside Sudan.
Interim observations
Mr. Chairman, I would like to put before the Commission some of the most important interim conclusions of the assessment Mission:
International agreements and their implementation
(1) The LRA should be urged to stop its abduction of children and meet with mediators as well as representatives of the Acholi community (the dominant ethnic group in the affected areas) who are trying to achieve a peaceful resolution to the conflict in northern Uganda.
(2) National and international efforts must be focused on expediting the return and reintegration of the children as a priority for all parties involved in the region and elsewhere. Further steps are necessary in Sudan to assist the escape and facilitate access of the children to the reception centre in Juba.
(3) Full implementation of the relevant agreements between Uganda and Sudan should be ensured as highly instrumental to the resolution of problems related to the abduction of children and wider human rights problems in northern Uganda. This should include setting up the Observation Team; cut-off of all support to the LRA in Sudan; increased efforts to disarm and disband the LRA; and the facilitating of contacts between the LRA and the Acholi community.
Amnesty and reconciliation
(4) Additional efforts must be made to make the Amnesty Act fully functional, including the opening of further regional offices of the Amnesty Commission. There is an urgent need for a media campaign to demonstrate clear support for the amnesty and reconciliation process.
Assistance to abducted children and the affected population
(5) There should be more active involvement of international organizations in systematically monitoring the conditions under which LRA escapees are handled and debriefed by the military, both in southern Sudan and Uganda. A wider access of those organizations to the affected areas should be facilitated.
(6) More international support is needed for efforts to reintegrate former LRA abductees into society, particularly through education and vocational training. Needs of victims should be addressed immediately through small projects targeting specific groups of returnees.
(7) As most LRA escapees within northern Uganda are now children who were abducted for relatively short periods, efforts should be made to expedite their return to their families without undue delay.
(8) The Government of Sudan should be encouraged to develop a strategy aiming at the identification and eventual return of all former child abductees who have escaped and may be living in southern Sudan.
Mr. Chairman,
The report from the Mission will provide the Commission with more details of the situation of the children abducted in northern Uganda. However, the preliminary findings of the Mission, which I have just presented, indicate the magnitude of the problem. I know that delegations are considering the possibility of maintaining this issue on the agenda of the Commission. I believe that our preliminary assessments will assist the Commission in its deliberations.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
57th session
Geneva, 19 April 2001
Statement of the High Commissioner
for Human Rights Pursuant to
Resolution 2000/60, on the Abduction
of children from northern Uganda
The OHCHR Mission on the abduction of children in northern Uganda was undertaken in response to a request of the Commission on Human Rights (res. 2000/60) asking OHCHR to carry out an assessment of the situation on the ground in the affected areas. In the course of its work the Mission visited Uganda, Sudan and Nairobi (Kenya) from 17 March to 6 April 2001. It was undertaken in close consultation with and the participation of UNICEF and the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. The report of the Mission is being prepared and will be issued as a document of the Commission. In the meantime, I am pleased to share with the Commission this preliminary presentation of the Mission and its findings.
Basic characteristics of the problem
The Abducted Children Registration and Information System, a database developed and maintained jointly by UNICEF and the Government of Uganda, estimates that about one-third of the 26,365 cases of abduction recorded in the database involve children under the age of 18 (8,788 cases). Roughly 20 per cent of the recorded abductees are female.
This year alone, if there is no change, hundreds of children, both boys and girls, will most probably be abducted by the Lord=s Resistance Army (LRA). Many of them will ultimately perish in the bush, either as a result of the harsh living conditions or at the hands of other captives. Current estimates put the strengths of the LRA at around 200 to 300 operating within Uganda and about 800 operating in southern Sudan. The vast majority of LRA fighters and camp followers are either children or were children at the time of their abduction into the movement.
The Mission heard that children abducted by the LRA are forced to carry out attacks in their home villages, and to kill any child who attempts to escape. Many of those who had escaped reported being terrorized, tied up and forced to carry heavy loads. Many also reported beatings during the march through the bush. In some cases children have been beaten to death for attempting to escape. Many of the escaped children with whom the Mission met were injured. There were reports of long term and serious disabilities as a result of injuries incurred.
Most women and girls who have been abducted and retained by the LRA are taken to serve as "wives" for the LRA commanders. Those who do not comply with the sexual demands made on them are beaten or killed. It is reported that many babies have been born in the LRA camps, and for those young women who would otherwise try to escape and return to their families, the social stigma of having become pregnant under such circumstances reportedly adds to their reluctance and fear to return home. A large part of the estimated 6000 missing children are presumed to be dead.
Despite the system of terror that reigns within the camps and the deadly punishment for showing disloyalty, children do escape from the LRA and make their way to freedom. A total of 123 such persons, including both adults and children, who have escaped in southern Sudan during 2000-2001, have become part of a programme of repatriation to Uganda. Nineteen of those individuals are small children or babies who were born in the camps and escaped with their mothers. Most of the remaining adolescents and adults spent from two to four years in the camps before escaping.
Efforts of Member States, international organizations, humanitarian bodies and other concerned parties
Member States, international organizations, humanitarian bodies and other parties concerned have made important efforts to improve the situation of abducted children and assist victims.
Bilateral agreements have been concluded between the Government of Sudan and the Government of Uganda aimed at improving relations and, in particular, at returning abducted children to their homes. Chief among these are the Agreement between the Governments of Sudan and Uganda, signed on 8 December 1999 in Nairobi, Kenya; and the Record of Commitments Made, signed in Nairobi on 19 November 2000. There was also a Joint Communiqué on Immediate Action on Abducted Children, which was signed on 17 September 2000 in Winnepeg, Canada, which led to further meetings between the two countries as well as with representatives of the Governments of Canada, Egypt and Libya.
The Mission was able to confirm that substantial progress has been achieved in the implementation of the two Nairobi agreements. However, urgent steps are needed to fully implement them. These include the establishment of the Observation Team as foreseen in the Record of Commitments Made, the purpose of which should be to observe whether there is any support, recruitment or other military activities in Uganda with respect to the Sudanese People=s Liberation Army (SPLA). This measure is of particular importance since the Mission also found that a general atmosphere of mistrust presently exists on both sides, focussing on as yet unfulfilled commitments.
In Uganda, significant steps have been taken towards the prevention of further abductions and the reintegration of child abductees who have escaped from the LRA. Throughout the major population centres in the affected areas, local organizations have formed to mobilize support and assistance to affected families and returning children. Local coordinating fora, such as the Joint Peace Forum in Kitgum, bring together organizations concerned to unify their message and efforts and decide on a division of labour. World Vision, Gulu Support for Children Organization (GUSCO) and Kitgum Concerned Women Association (KICWA) are examples of the many non-governmental organizations working with the returned child abductees and providing them with psychological and social support.
The Ugandan Amnesty Act, adopted on 21 January 2001, and the Commission created thereunder represent an important initiative facilitating the return of abducted children. Amnesty has been provided for anyone who abandons armed rebellion and surrenders his or her arms. It should be noted that the Amnesty Act and the reconciliation process has the strong and determined support of all the organizations in the north with whom the Mission met and, reportedly, among the general public as well.
A Child Protection Unit has been established in Headquarters of the 4th Ugandan Army. The Unit is responsible for the care of child abductees secured as a result of military operations. The work of the Unit has been enhanced as a result of the child-rights and humanitarian training carried out with army personnel deployed in northern Uganda.
The Government of Sudan has created a reception centre in Juba in the South of the country to receive and process escapees. The return of LRA escapees through Khartoum, Sudan is being coordinated through the Humanitarian Aid Commission, which was set up by the Government of Sudan, and is assisted in particular by UNICEF and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Transit centres were established at Suba (outside Khartoum) in December 2000 for women and children and in March 2001 for adult men. A cut-off of support for the LRA in Sudan was also noted. However, more efforts are needed to disarm and disband the LRA forces inside Sudan.
Interim observations
Mr. Chairman, I would like to put before the Commission some of the most important interim conclusions of the assessment Mission:
International agreements and their implementation
(1) The LRA should be urged to stop its abduction of children and meet with mediators as well as representatives of the Acholi community (the dominant ethnic group in the affected areas) who are trying to achieve a peaceful resolution to the conflict in northern Uganda.
(2) National and international efforts must be focused on expediting the return and reintegration of the children as a priority for all parties involved in the region and elsewhere. Further steps are necessary in Sudan to assist the escape and facilitate access of the children to the reception centre in Juba.
(3) Full implementation of the relevant agreements between Uganda and Sudan should be ensured as highly instrumental to the resolution of problems related to the abduction of children and wider human rights problems in northern Uganda. This should include setting up the Observation Team; cut-off of all support to the LRA in Sudan; increased efforts to disarm and disband the LRA; and the facilitating of contacts between the LRA and the Acholi community.
Amnesty and reconciliation
(4) Additional efforts must be made to make the Amnesty Act fully functional, including the opening of further regional offices of the Amnesty Commission. There is an urgent need for a media campaign to demonstrate clear support for the amnesty and reconciliation process.
Assistance to abducted children and the affected population
(5) There should be more active involvement of international organizations in systematically monitoring the conditions under which LRA escapees are handled and debriefed by the military, both in southern Sudan and Uganda. A wider access of those organizations to the affected areas should be facilitated.
(6) More international support is needed for efforts to reintegrate former LRA abductees into society, particularly through education and vocational training. Needs of victims should be addressed immediately through small projects targeting specific groups of returnees.
(7) As most LRA escapees within northern Uganda are now children who were abducted for relatively short periods, efforts should be made to expedite their return to their families without undue delay.
(8) The Government of Sudan should be encouraged to develop a strategy aiming at the identification and eventual return of all former child abductees who have escaped and may be living in southern Sudan.
Mr. Chairman,
The report from the Mission will provide the Commission with more details of the situation of the children abducted in northern Uganda. However, the preliminary findings of the Mission, which I have just presented, indicate the magnitude of the problem. I know that delegations are considering the possibility of maintaining this issue on the agenda of the Commission. I believe that our preliminary assessments will assist the Commission in its deliberations.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.