MPs Want UN Help to Fight Kony

New Vision (Kampala)
NEWS
November 14, 2003
Posted to the web November 14, 2003

By Vision Reporters
Kampala
PARLIAMENT yesterday reiterated its call on Government to invite the United
Nations to intervene in the 17-year old Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebel war
that has devastated the north and eastern regions.
MPs also want the regions to be declared disaster areas.
MPs yesterday expressed their concern over the deteriorating security and
humanitarian conditions, saying it was apparent that the situation had run out
of hand and the Govern ment could no longer handle it alone.
The First Deputy Premier and Minister for Refugees and Disaster Preparedness,
Lt. Gen. Moses Ali, told Parliament in his brief on the situation of internally
displaced persons (IDPs) and government emergency intervention, that the
security situation had made it difficult for the relief aid to reach the IDPs.
Parliament passed a motion to form a select committee to look at the prime
minister's report and other reports on the security and humanitarian crises in
north and eastern Uganda and report to the House.
Ali said the new LRA attacks had led to the creation of 15 new transition camps
in addition to the existing 52.
He said 136,000 IDPs were in Soroti district, 97.000 in Kaberamaido, 37,851 in
Lira Municipality and another 41,246 camped in various centres in Lira
district.
He said emergency learning centres were being constructed for displaced
children.
He said 84,058,271 tonnes of food had been delivered by WFP and the prime
ministers office recently.
Emmanuel Ddombo, (Bunyoli), Charles Angiro (Erute North), Omodi Okot, Latif
Ssebagala (Kawempe North), Steven Bamwanga (Ndorwa West) and Mathius Kasamba
(Kakuuto) said Government should swallow its pride and call the UN to intervene
or hire mercenaries.

   

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