UGANDA’S INVISIBLE CHILDREN
By Hanna Butler
While I sit at a desk and swivel on an office chair, a little known phenomena has begun on the other side of the world where night is falling and children should be getting ready for bed. Instead, tens of thousands of Ugandan children begin what has now become termed as a “night commute”. Every night, children who live in dangerous rural areas where a militant rebel group have stronghold, walk up to 20km just to be able to sleep in the safety of the city. Fear of being abducted by rebels in their sleep, and being kept as soldiers or sex slaves, easily justifies a nightly marathon. And as thousands of eyes close to go to sleep, dreaming is not likely in a world where nightmares are a reality in more ways than one.
20 years ago, a self proclaimed prophet and spirit medium started a rebellion against the Ugandan government. The Lords Resistance Army (LRA) headed by Joseph Kony began a rebellion of terror without clear reasons or intentions and until recently never made a clear statement of its political aims. The current situation in Northern Uganda - of a cultish fanaticism, ruthless military might, complimented global attention or concern- has produced one of the most evil situations in the world.
Since 1987, 95% of the population has been displaced due to the LRA. 1000 people die every week from disease, the poor living conditions and violence. There are 300,000 child soldiers in the world, and 30,000 of these are in Uganda, and they make up 80% of the LRA. Imagine an unknown town destroyed by war and populated by children turned into killing machines and sex slaves. Recruits as young as 8 are subjected to a form of warfare involving more than just guns and bombs. The LRA have become known for their atrocious style of attack, and can be seen on the faces of the people of northern Uganda who now smile without lips, hear without ears and smell without noses. Children are taught to perform terrible atrocities — including killing their families and other children — or face death themselves. Forgetting the conflict however does not deny nor discredit what has happened. The facts are shocking, hard to believe and, what is even worse, these facts very rarely known.
In a competition where war, death, horror, and exploitation are the criteria for winning, the LRA can justifiably accept second place for their 20 year war without a reason in Northern Uganda. Last year 100 international experts launched a poll on which of the world’s “forgotten” emergencies they wanted the world to focus and act on. United Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland stated, “I cannot find any other part of the world that is having an emergency on the scale of Uganda, that is getting such little international attention.” Adding that it is worse than Iraq’, and a ‘moral outrage.
Last month the elusive Kony broke his silence and very unconvincingly blamed the atrocities of the last twenty years on groups trying to frame him, and the use of propaganda for creating his monster image. He explains that he was just trying to do as the voices had told him, and enforce the 10 commandments. Kony is now top of the International Criminal Courts warrant list and alone is wanted for 33 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
I have a message to give you, while you sit on your office chair, from a 15-year-old girl who escaped from the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda, who now makes the nightly commute while you and I swivel on our chairs.
“I would like to give you a message. Please do your best to tell the world what is happening to us, the children. So that other children don’t have to pass through this violence.”
References:
Guluwalk site
Night Commuters in Northern Uganda by Rebecca Czarnecki
LEARN MORE:
Movie: The Invisible Children and the media kit you can download
Lira: Uganda’s Child Soldiers
Wikipedia
TAKE ACTION:
Watch the movie Uganda Rising - screening free at the Southern Cross, Abel Smith St, Wellington on November 13 and 20 2006
Join Hanna in Wellington 25 November 2006 in giving the message of this girl to New Zealand. GuluWalk is an international event that replicates the walks of the children in order to raise awareness and support for this crisis. Be that message of hope for the children of northern Uganda, and walk to tell their story. Northern Uganda is not the only place in the world where children live amongst war and poverty, it is unfortunately far too common, and more often that not we are in positions where there is not much that we can do. GuluWalk is an opportunity where you can “do more than just watch”.
For more info visit the GuluWalk site or email hanna@volunteer.org.nz
