The Ugandan government has rejected a demand by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) for a reduction in the size of the army and the induction of rebel fighters into the military when a final peace deal is struck. During talks in Juba, the capital of southern Sudan, the LRA had said reconstituting the Ugandan People's Defense Forces (UPDF) was the only way to achieve lasting stability in the country. "Uganda shall constitute and build a new national army that guarantees security, peace and sustainable prosperity of the people of Uganda," according to a LRA position paper presented to southern Sudanese mediators.

This paper presents the preliminary findings of a study of land conflicts between refugees and host communities in Southwestern Uganda and their impact on refugee women's livelihoods. Uganda has a long history of hosting refugees that dates back to the 1940s when it hosted Polish refugees.Refugees were placed in gazetted areas in close proximity to the local population. As the refugee situation became protracted, hospitality gave way to a competition fpr resources such as agricultural and grazing land, water and forest resources.

The number of children in northern Uganda who take refuge in towns every night from their rural homes for fear of being abducted by rebels has dropped but thousands of children are still vulnerable, aid workers said. In Gulu district, where abduction of children by the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) was rampant, the number of ‘night commuters’ has fallen from 25,000 in February 2004 to less than 4,000 at present, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

A delegation of about 150 people from northern Uganda has arrived in Maridi, Western Equatoria State of southern Sudan, on their way to meet the leader of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), Joseph Kony. Sources said the meeting was likely to take place on Thursday in Nabanga, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. The LRA, the sources added, had been holed up in this area and in Garamba national park for some time now.

The Ugandan government has started implementing a six-month emergency plan to resettle thousands of people displaced by the 20-year old conflict between the army and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in the eastern region, a senior official said.

China has agreed to construct the Ayago-Nile hydro-power dam that will provide about 530MW to meet the 8% annual electricity demand. The river that drops about 80m over about 9.5km is at Murchison Falls in Nebbi district. Uganda's ambassador to China, Charles Wagidoso, said the estimated project cost according to the East African Master Plan study of 2006 is $900m (sh1.6 trillion).

The fall of the infamous dictator Idi Amin heralded a new era for Uganda. Unfortunately for the northeastern region of Karamoja it also heralded the era of the gun. Fleeing soldiers abandoned their arsenal of automatic weapons and local pastoralist Karamojong quickly found that the Kalashnikov was more effective than the spear. Cattle raiding would never be the same again.

Ugandan government negotiators at peace talks in Sudan have refused to sign a ceasefire agreement with the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels. The government delegation left the talks early on Tuesday (17 July), saying the rest of the agenda must be dealt with first.

With a nation that has been struggling under "poverty, a huge debt and general deprivation," Ugandans might be expected to rejoice at the discovery of oil fields in their country. However, a post independence history of corruption, mismanagement and violence over the control of natural resources has left Ugandan's people skeptical whether they will see any benefit of the country's new wealth. This East African opinion piece highlights the potential for conflict within Uganda over the oil found in the Bunyoro region where a separatist movement still exists.

Peace talks between the Ugandan government and the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), scheduled to start in the southern Sudanese capital of Juba on Wednesday 12 July, have been delayed, according to a Sudanese official. An official in the office of the southern Sudanese Vice-President said Riek Machar, who is mediating the peace talks, had not returned to Juba yet. As a result the talks could probably start on Thursday 13 July instead.

What is the position of women in politics in Uganda? The authors of this paper argue that the mode of electing women to parliament, and the interpretation of the reserved seats, has also meant that women representatives have found it difficult to challenge the government in controversial matters.

A journalist for Uganda's tabloid Red Pepper has been charged and sent to Luzira prison for demanding money from an MP with intent to steal, according to a report in The Monitor. Mr Julius Odeke, a resident of Namanve is accused of demanding Shs500, 000 from the Busiro East MP, Ms Susan Nakawuzi as inducement to stop publishing negative stories about her, reports Journalism.co.za.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) reiterates that Uganda has a legal obligation to arrest rebel group leader Joseph Kony, despite President Yoweri Museveni's amnesty offer. While Museveni chides the ICC for failing to capture Kony and other top Lord's Resistance Army commanders, some lawyers criticize the Ugandan government's inconsistency. Museveni referred the case to the ICC in 2004 and passed an act in April 2006 denying Kony amnesty.

Education Minister Namirembe Bitamazire has disclosed that the government has made available Sh30 billion and will recruit 2,000 teachers for the Universal Secondary Education (USE) programme commencing in February next year. "Plans will be finalised by December 2006 and the actual release will be done by February when schools open," she said.

Uganda has drafted a policy to manage its oil and natural gas resources now that early tests in the Lake Albert region have shown that the country has commercially exploitable reserves. The policy seeks to ensure that the country benefits from any oil reserves that might be discovered, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Minerals Fred Kabagambe-Kaliisa has said.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has extended a deadline for a peace deal with the rebel Lord's Resistance Army. Talks due to begin on Wednesday 12 July were to conclude at the end of July, but Mr Museveni has now given until mid-September for an agreement. The government has also appealed for rebel leader Joseph Kony to participate so progress is as swift as possible.

The Refugee Law Project (RLP) conducted over 100 in-depth interviews in Gulu and Kitgum districts in early June 2006. In a context where nearly all residents of Gulu and Kitgum are displaced, government and humanitarian actors have increasingly sought to target those with the greatest need through the identification of 'vulnerable groups'. This amorphous population has typically included women, children, the sick, disabled and elderly. Taken together, these groups in fact form the majority of the internally displaced population of Northern Uganda, making the term 'vulnerable' almost meaningless.

Banking institutions have been urged to start rural mobile banking services to attract more people into the banking industry and help the country instil a savings culture; much lacking in Uganda. The service that involves making banking transactions through a combination of banking technologies such as Point of Sales Services, Automated Teller Machines, Mini-ATMs (Movable ATMs) and mobile phones does not necessarily require bankers to visit banks.

Look at a map of school attendance in Uganda and you notice something different about Karamoja. Most children do not go to school; instead, Karamojong children live the pastoralist life. But traditions are changing across the plains and escarpments, long seen as Uganda's wildlands. And with that change comes a cultural struggle over the role of education.

Long-term humanitarian ‘care and maintenance’ programmes have a reputation for ignoring human and social needs. A new strategy designed for Sudanese refugees in Uganda was meant to address these failings by applying a more developmental approach. However, political security, refugee participation and respect for human rights have been lacking.