Sexual violence 'rife in Uganda'

2007-11-30 14:56

Kampala - The two-decade-old civil war in northern Uganda has receded but sexual violence against women is still widespread and going unpunished, says Amnesty International.

The London-based rights watchdog said the criminal justice system in northern Uganda is systematically "ignoring, denying and tacitly condoning" sexual violence and letting the culprit walk free.

The report said: "The spotlight on northern Uganda is usually on crimes committed in the context of the conflict.

"However, Amnesty International's recent research reveals that despite the cessation of hostilities, violence against women remains high, in part due to state inaction in ensuring accountability of suspected perpetrators."

Gender-based violence

The report said those perpetrators ranged from close family members to Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels, the Ugandan military and police.

Amnesty charged that police services and legal provisions were grossly inadequate, urging the Uganda government to fulfil its obligation and bring those responsible to justice.

It urged the government to give increased attention to sexual and gender-based violence in the "National Peace, Recovery and Development Plan for Northern Uganda" it launched in October.

The East African nation's northern regions had been ravaged by two decades of one of Africa's most violent yet largely forgotten civil conflicts, pitting the Ugandan army against a notoriously brutal rebellion.

Both sides were involved in internationally-sponsored peace talks and a ceasefire reached in August 2006 had been largely respected.

LRA rebels were touring areas of northern Uganda affected by the fighting to apologise to their victims for past crimes, as part of a national reconciliation process.

- AFP