On the margins: Children and conflict-induced displacement in Western Uganda

“Ntoroko is like some forgotten world. Our health unit is very poor, our roads are very poor and so are community members are very poor.”
- 22-year-old Ugandan male, Ntoroko West, 28 October 2004

Ntoroko County in Bundibugyo District lies in the far west of Uganda, bordering Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Not only is Ntoroko geographically remote, wedged between Semuliki national park and Lake Albert, but, as the young person above eloquently pointed out, it is also politically marginalised from district and central government decision-making and resource allocation. Following years of conflict between the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and the Ugandan government, as well as among armed groups in DRC, Ntoroko County has experienced widespread displacement and poverty.

It is within this context of scarcity that the Refugee Law Project, funded by Save the Children, undertook research to identify the main issues affecting children in the county, to assess community responses to date and to analyse gaps in policy and programming. Using participatory, qualitative methods, a team of six researchers gathered data from refugee and national adults and children in Kanara, Rwebisengo and Karagutu sub-counties. The aim was to understand the general context for children, as well as the specific challenges and circumstances of refugee children, including unaccompanied minors, from the DRC.

Ugandan government policy requires refugees to register and proceed to rural settlements. However, many Congolese refugees in Ntoroko County have chosen not to move to Kyaka II refugee camp, 200 kilometres away, because doing so would mean abandoning their cattle, losing their livelihoods as fishers and/or reducing their ability to monitor the situation in their home communities with a view to eventual return. Although they fulfil the criteria under international refugee law, these Congolese people are denied refugee status and deemed ‘aliens’ by the government. As a result, they constitute an ‘invisible’, albeit in some areas majority, part of the population in Ntoroko County. This means that they are not taken into account in government planning for service provision, resulting in increased demand on already over-stretched education and health facilities. Such a policy indirectly penalises Ugandan residents in the area, provoking discrimination against refugees in service provision.

In such an environment of competition for resources and power, children are often left out of the equation. As one resident pointed out: “Our children are completely at risk here because in Ntoroko, as in the traditions of most fish sites, the formula is every man for himself and God for us all. How can you then say children are well here?” Children and young people lack access to decision-making and leaders are not necessarily accountable to those they purportedly represent. The majority of officials dealing with children’s issues are older males, while Ugandan nationals often speak on behalf of refugees. Allegations of corruption are also widespread. For example, one interviewee said: “We normally see a number of things coming here, but they are taken to the chairman’s home. These leaders also sell the things like books which are brought for the children to use at school.”

Given this political situation, it is not surprising that research findings reveal major barriers to accessing quality education for children in Ntoroko County, particularly for girls and Congolese children. Malaria, cough, worms and cholera are the main health issues facing children, due primarily to poor sanitation and lack of access to clean water. Child abuse, neglect, rape and defilement are widespread in the county, but response from local authorities has been inadequate, contributing to a culture of impunity.

Recognising that children are active members of communities means that child protection is inextricably linked to governance issues in Ntoroko County. Only when the child rights agenda is politicised – when power dynamics in social structures are recognised and steps are taken towards inclusion of groups traditionally marginalised from power – will we begin to address the root causes of child abuse and neglect in Ntoroko County, and elsewhere.

* Christina Clark is Commonwealth Scholar, Oxford University. She is currently undertaking doctoral research with Congolese young people in Uganda. The research summarised here was undertaken in her voluntary capacity as Research Associate with Refugee Law Project, Makerere University. The full report is available at:

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