A 20-year-old fractious conflict centered in Northern Uganda that has displaced 1.7 million people is receiving renewed attention from the United States, United Nations and other international organizations. What the United States and other world bodies can or cannot do to help resolve this crisis, which has resulted in close to 30,000 child abductees and set the scene for heinous forms of torture and murder, was discussed at a March 9 event sponsored by the Congressional Human Rights Caucus.

The Ugandan government's expulsion of a foreign journalist is the latest example of a crackdown on independent media that predates recent elections, Human Rights Watch said. At least three local journalists also face serious criminal charges on account of their work. President Yoweri Museveni, in power in Uganda since 1986, won re-election last month, giving him another five-year term. The ruling National Resistance Movement won a majority of seats in parliament in the presidential and parliamentary elections of February 23, the first multiparty poll in two decades.

About $4 million is needed immediately for the setting up of national facilities for testing, training technicians and sample collection. The Ugandan Cabinet is set to meet to discuss how to raise the $14 million needed for the setting up of a national plan for preparedness and response to avian influenza (bird flu). Although no case of bird flu has been confirmed in the country, officials are leaving nothing to chance over the H5N1 virus, which has already affected poultry stocks in Nigeria, Egypt and Niger, and which is potentially fatal if passed on to humans.

Uganda's divestiture programmes have suffered a setback after the World Bank declined to extend its technical support to the Privatisation Unit. The Bank cites political interference, lack of transparency and the sluggish pace of disposal of public assets as the reasons for its decision. The World Bank said last month it would not extend the facility, which lapsed at the end of 2005. The Privatisation Unit officials say they may not be able to finance the areas the World Bank has been funding at international level, but add that they can seek local funding alternatives.

A survey by the AIDS Control Programme, conducted between 2004 and 2005, and involving 10,437 households randomly selected from 417 clusters, reveals that radio is by far the most vital source of information about HIV/AIDS and that awareness of the modes of HIV transmission is high, with almost 90% of adults knowing that having only one uninfected faithful partner can reduce the chances of getting AIDS. Women topped the overall HIV prevalence in Uganda by sex, with 7.5% between 15-49 years infected compared to their male counterparts with 6.4%.

The Committee to Protect Journalists is very troubled by the recent harassment of journalists at the independent radio station Choice FM in the town of Gulu, in Uganda's war-scarred north. Police accused the station of being a security threat after a talk show last Wednesday featuring opposition and ruling party candidates in Ugandan municipal elections, according to local journalists.

The Chief Engineer Marines, Aggrey Ojiambo, points at a spot at Port Bell Pier at Luzira marking the water level of Lake Victoria before the recession. The concrete slabs in the background show the extent to which the waters have dropped. A detailed analysis of the available hydrological evidence concludes that 55% of Uganda’s power problems are a result of excess water releases at the Nalubaale and Kiira dams. Jennifer Austin writes that only 45% of the drop can be blamed on low rainfall. There have been conflicting stories about the cause of the recent large drop of the water level of Lake Victoria with some officials brushing it off as an unfortunate consequence of drought, while others blame excessive water releases from hydropower production at the dams in Jinja, according to the Sunday Vision.

Kisubi Hospital, with support from the International Aids Vaccine Initiative has embarked on providing free home based HIV/Aids testing and counselling services. International Aids Vaccine Initiative is an international organisation whose mission is to fight Aids by speeding the development of a safe, effective, and affordable vaccine to prevent the disease. Speaking at the official launch of the Home Based HIV Counselling and Testing Project at the hospital on March 3, the project coordinator, Dr Bruce Kirenga, said counselling and testing was voluntary and would take a period of six months.

This is an opinion piece by Uganda's President elect, Yoweri Museveni. It begins as follows, "I salute the people of Uganda for, again, giving a strong mandate to the National Resistance Movement (NRM). Although there were organisational problems, such as, poor civic education, which led to 4% of "spoilt" votes, the clear margin of the NRM's win is unmistakable for those who are serious. The recent victory of the NRM in the just concluded Presidential and Parliamentary elections is the latest in the 40 years' struggle against sectarianism, subservience to foreign interests, criminality and backwardness."

Some 17,000 Sudanese refugees in Uganda have registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for repatriation, and the first batch could be home as early as next month. But humanitarian agencies say most refugees are reluctant to return home because they feel security has not been fully restored in Southern Sudan and that social infrastructure like schools and hospitals is lacking. This is the reason more than 150,000 Sudanese refugees in Uganda are yet to sign up to return home.

Not guilty is the verdict. One down, three to go. Dr Kizza Besigye was the loser on the February 23rd elections in Uganda, but he emerged victor in the High Court, after Justice John Bosco Katutsi acquitted him of the charge of rape. The High Court decided there was no merit in Joan Kyakuwa's case, and consequently dismissed it. It provides some respite for Kizza Besigye, who still has three cases pending; of treason, concealment of treason and another of illegal possession of firearms.
Related Link:
* Besigye accuses Museveni of dividing Ugandans

* Besigye defies army court
http://allafrica.com/stories/200603061181.html

Organised by the Uganda Network for AIDS Service Organisations (UNASO) and Health and Development Networks (HDN), in collaboration with the Constellation for AIDS Competence, the discussion “AIDS Competence – sharing, using and strengthening experience with local responses in Uganda” will take place on the Partners Uganda electronic discussion forum (eForum) between March – July 2006.

The Associated Press has examined US HIV/AIDS funding in Uganda and the view of some advocates and officials that the country's emphasis on prevention has shifted from condom use to fidelity and abstinence. While US officials acknowledge condoms "are a key weapon" to contain the HIV/AIDS pandemic, they believe "prevention information is more effective when targeted at the appropriate audience," the Associated Press reports.

Despite making Monday a public holiday to allow Ugandans to turn up in big numbers to elect their mayors and directly elected councillors in 12 municipalities countrywide, the election suffered a low turnout.
Related Link:
* Uganda: A shrinking voters role

It is widely recognised that corruption can limit poverty reduction and economic growth. Improved accountability will help reduce corruption and improve the quality of crucial public services, but there is little evidence to demonstrate how a culture of accountability can be developed.

The UK has failed to act on promises to plug loopholes that allow the sale of arms to countries with poor human rights records, aid agency Oxfam says. It says that military vehicles were sold to Uganda by a South African subsidiary of the UK firm BAE Systems. These were used to quell demonstrations and disperse opposition supporters as recently as 10 days ago, it says.

As the Democratic Party and Uganda Peoples Congress come to terms with the resounding defeat of their flag-bearers in Uganda's presidential elections last week, the consensus is that they were victims of a growing trend towards militarism in Ugandan politics. Presidential candidates for the Uganda People's Congress and the Democratic Party turned in dismal performances, with a combined tally of less than 5 per cent of the vote. Given that they are Uganda's oldest political parties and that the candidates were no novices, analysts argue that three decades of violence in Uganda is taking its toll on young voters who believe that one can win political power only through the power of the gun.
* Related Link
Uganda: Opposition leader to challenge poll results in Court
http://allafrica.com/stories/200602280039.html

A new food regulation by the European Union (EU) has created a non-tariff barrier to products under Uganda's bio trade programme, a bio trade officer has said. Susan Bingi, who is in charge of the programme, said although the regulation was put in place in 1997, it had been largely unknown in developing countries yet they are the main exporters to the EU. "This regulation is intended to ensure food safety. It requires novel foods to be subjected to extensive scientific research to prove food safety beyond doubt. This presents a barrier to exotic foods entering the EU," Bingi said.

Big name losers in the Uganda general election and surprise wins in key constituencies have brought into focus what shape the country's eighth parliament is likely to take. A sizeable chunk of President Museveni's Cabinet were defeated in last week's general election. Significantly, powerful voices that characterised legislation in the past 10 years have been silenced or have dropped out, leaving the field for new MPs to take up the mantle of leadership.
* Related Link
- Uganda: Observers declare poll peaceful despite vote-buying and violence
http://allafrica.com/stories/200602280746.html

Uganda's first lady Janet Museveni is running for a seat in parliament on Feb. 23. Anti-AIDS activist Beatrice Were might have supported her a few years ago. But now she blames her for restigmatizing the disease with help from U.S. funding.