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13 - Life in Rebel Captivity and its Challenges for the Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Former Child Soldiers: The Case of Northern Uganda
- Edited by Ilse Derluyn, Cindy Mels, Stephan Parmentier, Wouter Vandenhole
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- Book:
- Re-Member
- Published by:
- Intersentia
- Published online:
- 20 January 2021
- Print publication:
- 21 February 2012, pp 307-328
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Summary
INTRODUCTION
CHILD SOLDIERING IN NORTHERN UGANDA
In northern Uganda, a civil war has been waging for more than two decades between the rebel faction Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and the Ugandan Government. Although, the roots of this conflict reach back to the colonial era and the conflict has known many episodes; an intensification occurred when Yoweri Museveni, president of Uganda, seized power in 1986 and Joseph Kony, leader of the LRA, set up his guerrilla campaign.
The battlefield of this conflict is situated in the northern districts of the country, where the Acholi population resides. The LRA adopted various civiliantargeting strategies from a political and operational aim, resulting in numerous civilian casualties. Attacks on villages, the maiming of civilians, ambushes, massacres and other atrocities were countless during this emergency. It is estimated that over a million and a half had to flee their homes and reside in internally displaced persons camps4 and that thousands of children sought protection as night commuters in town each night. Furthermore, the conflict limited their access to security, food, employment, education and health services.
One of its adopted strategies, mainly targeting children, is the violent abduction and forced recruitment of minors to serve as child soldiers. It is estimated that so far about 25,000 children have been forcibly involved as child soldiers in the LRA. These children are used to empower the LRA by filling its ranks and are thereby actively engaged in the battle against the government and people of Uganda.
In captivity, abducted children live in harsh circumstances, are exposed to several potentially traumatising events and are made perpetrators of atrocities against their own people. There can be no doubt that these experiences affect the child's well-being and development. Research has found that they are psychologically distressing, resulting in high rates of post-traumatic stress symptoms among former child soldiers. These in turn pose serious threats to the long-term rehabilitation and reintegration of the former child soldiers.
14 - Psychosocial Care in Rehabilitation Centres for Former Child Soldiers in Northern Uganda
- Edited by Ilse Derluyn, Cindy Mels, Stephan Parmentier, Wouter Vandenhole
-
- Book:
- Re-Member
- Published by:
- Intersentia
- Published online:
- 20 January 2021
- Print publication:
- 21 February 2012, pp 329-362
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- Chapter
- Export citation
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Summary
INTRODUCTION
This chapter aims to outline an overview of psychosocial caretaking activities organised by rehabilitation centres (RCs) for former child soldiers in northern Uganda. The conflict in northern Uganda is sometimes referred to as ‘one of the most forgotten conflicts in the world’ or ‘one of the worst violations of children's rights anywhere in the world’. For over 20 years this country has suffered from a cruel and bloody war between the government army (Ugandan People's Defence Force, UPDF) and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a rebel group under the command of Joseph Kony. The LRA had a tremendous impact on daily life as it concentrated its terror on the civilian population by looting and attacking villages, burning houses, and, worst of all, by mutilating, killing and abducting children and adults. It is estimated that over the course of the conflict, Kony and his army were responsible for the deaths of about one million people, while nearly two million people were forced to live in camps for internally displaced persons (IDP) for several years.
The abduction or use of children for the purpose of forced conscription and sexual exploitation is even today an important problem, as it is estimated that between 250,000 and 300,000 children are deployed as child soldiers in 17 conflicts worldwide. Northern Uganda had its share, with estimations ranging from 24,000 to 38,000 children to as many as 66,000 children and young adults between 14 and 30 years old. Even more striking, Annan et al. found that more than one third of male youths and one fift h of female youths questioned in their study reported being abducted. Once abducted by the LRA, children were confronted with very difficult living conditions and without doubt life became a true struggle for survival. It started at the moment of abduction, when many children were tied, beaten and/or given heavy loads to carry.