Developments in Uganda

The information below is based on the 2009 report of the Secretary General to the Security Council (A/63/785-S/2009/158) issued on 26 March 2009. More information is available in the report.

There were no cases of recruitment and use of children by Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) or the local defence units in the reporting period. The Government of Uganda asserted that local defence units had been disbanded and its members integrated either into UPDF or the Uganda Police Force. In February 2009, the country task force on monitoring and reporting carried out on-site visits to UPDF facilities in northern Uganda to observe UPDF general recruitment exercises and to verify the implementation of UPDF recruitment policies, as part of the terms of the action plan signed by the Government on 16 January 2009. In addition, the visits sought to verify the disbanding of local defence units and to confirm the discharge of any persons under the age of 18 in the process of integrating local defence units into UPDF.

Following the visits, the country task force ascertained that the age criteria for recruitment into UPDF within existing laws and regulations were strictly observed; confirmed that current policies and directives relating to the prevention of recruitment and use of underaged persons were in place, including for age verification, awareness-raising, prevention and disciplinary measures; noted that UPDF recruitment criteria and procedures were strictly adhered to by its officers; and that there has been no evidence of the recruitment of children by UPDF since August 2007.

On the basis of these findings, and as it has been determined that UPDF and its auxiliaries have shown full commitment towards the implementation of the action plan and continue to allow regular access to the United Nations to any UPDF facilities upon request to monitor compliance, they shall be removed from the lists contained in the annex to the report this year. However, the country task force will continue to monitor UPDF compliance with the action plan, to ensure that continuous efforts are made to prevent the recruitment and use of children.

The Government has established a clear national policy framework for the demobilization and reintegration of non-government forces operating in and outside Uganda, based on the Amnesty Amendment Act (2006). Its peace, recovery and development programme for northern Uganda encompasses a demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants programme that seeks to coordinate and facilitate socio-economic reintegration of non-governmental forces that voluntarily surrender to the Government, including those associated with LRA.

Owing to considerable improvement in the security and humanitarian situation in northern Uganda, the number of grave violations attributable to UPDF and its auxiliaries has dropped significantly. In addition, the presence of UPDF soldiers on the ground has decreased, and formal institutions and structures such as the police, particularly children and family protection units, as well as welfare officers and members of local councils, are assuming a greater role in ensuring social and legal protection for children.

No cases have been attributed to LRA, as the group has not been operating in Ugandan territory, although women and children are reported to still be present within its ranks. The Government estimates that at the time LRA left Uganda, it consisted of approximately 1,000 individuals, of whom 500 were women and children. The presence of LRA has been reported in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, southern Sudan and the Central African Republic, and, in response to grave violations committed against children by LRA, a strategy for a subregional coordination mechanism to monitor and report on cross-border recruitment and use of children will be developed.

Parties responsible for recruitment and use of children

Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).* Status: No action plan. LRA has not been present in Ugandan territory as of November 2005. On 24 August 2007, the United Nations Special Envoy for LRA-affected areas transmitted a message from the Security Council to the leader of the LRA delegation, who assured that the delegation would convey the message to the leader of LRA, Joseph Kony. The message urged LRA to take immediate steps to release children associated with its forces; to immediately engage in transparent procedures with UNICEF for verification of the demobilization of all children; to provide humanitarian personnel unimpeded access to populations in need; and to ensure that specific provisions for children are included by the parties at all steps of the negotiations.

Parties in Uganda, which were removed from the annex of the 2008 report

Government armed forces and defence units: (a) Local defence units; (b) Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF). Status: Action plan signed on 16 January 2009 between the Government of Uganda and the Uganda Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting. As it has been determined that UPDF and its auxiliaries have shown full commitment towards the implementation of the action plan and continue to allow regular access to the United Nations to any UPDF facilities upon request to monitor compliance, the parties have been de-listed from the  2008 report.

Parties marked with an asterisk (*) have been on the annex lists for a minimum of four years.

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