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Uganda

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Uganda

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Since the late 1980s Uganda has rebounded from the abyss of civil war and economic catastrophe to become relatively peaceful, stable and prosperous.

But the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in the north remain blighted by one of Africa's most brutal rebellions.

In the 1970s and 1980s Uganda was notorious for its human rights abuses, first during the military dictatorship of Idi Amin from 1971-79 and then after the return to power of Milton Obote, who had been ousted by Amin.

During this time up to half a million people were killed in state-sponsored violence.

Since becoming president in 1986 Yoweri Museveni has introduced democratic reforms and has been credited with substantially improving human rights, notably by reducing abuses by the army and the police.

In addition, Western-backed economic reforms produced solid growth and falls in inflation in the 1990s. However, Mr Museveni has bemoaned his country's failure to industrialise.

The president came under fire for Uganda's military involvement, along with five other countries, in neighbouring DR Congo's 1998-2003 civil war. DR Congo accuses Uganda of maintaining its influence in the mineral-rich east of the country. Uganda says DR Congo has failed to disarm Ugandan rebels on its soil.

At home, the cult-like Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has perpetrated massacres and mutilations in the north for nearly two decades.

The group's leader has said he wants to run the country along the lines of the biblical ten commandments. The violence has displaced more than 1.6 million people and tens of thousands of civilians have been killed or kidnapped. The LRA and government signed a truce in August 2006 aimed at ending one of Africa's longest-running conflicts.

Uganda has won praise for its vigorous campaign against HIV/Aids. This has helped to reduce the prevalence of the virus - which reached 30% in the 1990s - to single-digit figures.

-BBC News

Uganda ( in: Africa ) Details and Statistics

Uganda

Local Time:

Weather:

weather

National News:

National News

Climate:

Tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August); semiarid in northeast

Population:

27.6 million (UN, 2005)

Capitol:

Kampala

Area:

241,038 sq km (93,072 sq miles)

Major Language:

English (official), Swahili, Ganda, various Bantu languages

Major religion:

Christianity, Islam

Life Expectancy:

46 years (men), 47 years (women) (UN)

Monetary Unit:

1 Ugandan shilling = 100 cents

Main Exports:

Coffee, fish and fish products, tea; tobacco, cotton, corn, beans, sesame

GNI per capita:

US $280 (World Bank, 2006)

Internet Domain:

.ug

Int. dialing Zone:

+256

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Poverty

Uganda is one of the poorest countries in the world. However, a rapid decline in poverty has occurred between 1992 and 2003 due to economic growth. 56% of the population was living in poverty in 1992 whereas only 38% now live in poverty. Only 56% of the population has access to clean water. Poverty remains high in rural areas including Northern and Eastern Uganda.

Human Rights

In Northern Uganda, a 20 year conflict has plagued the civilian population. The Lords Resistance Army (LRA) kills, tortures, mutilates, and sexually abuses innocent civilians. 90% of these civilians are put in displaced person camps, unable to return home. Twenty thousand children have been abducted and forced to serve as child soldiers. To avoid being captured, thousands of children walk miles and miles from their home village at night to hide in forests, hospitals, and churches. The Ugandan army (Ugandan People’s Defense Force) also engages in abuses including beating, raping, and killing civilians. Impunity rules in the end. Since 1986, 1.2 million Ugandans have been displaced. Tens of thousands have been killed.

Aids/Disease

Uganda is one of the rare success stories in the reduction of HIV/AIDS prevalence. 18% of the population lived with HIV/AIDS in the early 1990s. This number declined to 6.5% in recent years. Despite this improvement, 20,000 babies are still infected by HIV annually by means of mother-to-child transmission. Half of the 2 millions orphans are orphaned due to AIDS, and this number is expected to rise to 3.5 million by 2010.

Improvement in HIV/AIDS prevalence can be attributed to numerous educational programs promoting the use of condoms and “abstinence only” plans. The National AIDS Commission founded in 1992 has made an HIV/AIDS policy and has helped significantly in the education and the promotion of awareness surrounding this disease. The “Multi-sectoral AIDS Control Approach” was also created in response to this disease.

Malaria, respiratory infections, and diarrhea are the main causes of death in children under 5. Common ailments suffered by these people are prenatal and maternal conditions, malaria, and pneumonia.

Environment

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Literacy/Education

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Charitable Organizations

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Volunteer Opportunities

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