Internal Displacement in Northern Uganda : From Policy to Reality
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2010-12-20
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en
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Abstract
For years internal displacement has been neglected on the international agenda. Only recently
the phenomenon is receiving more attention. Consequently, more debates and more approaches
arise concerning whether or not internally displaced persons (IDPs) should be considered as a
separate category of concern, and which approach is best in order to end internal displacement.
In this arena of discussion the framework for durable solutions has been developed, providing as
a guiding line for national authorities and the international community. The framework presents
various factors that should determine the end of internal displacement, meaning that durable
solutions for IDPs have been achieved. The starting point in the search for durable solutions is
that IDPs have been able to choose their place of solution either through settlement at the place
where they found refuge or through return to their home village or through resettlement
someplace else. Subsequently, the framework distinguishes between the processes through
which solutions are found and the actual conditions of former IDPs at their place of solution.
Uganda is one of the many countries that suffers from the impact of internal displacement. A
conflict between the government of Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) has troubled
the northern region of Uganda since the 1980s. In the 1990s the government called for the
protected villages which was the starting point of a massive uproot. IDPs lived in dire situations
for many years. Since 2006 stability has returned in the region. The LRA crossed the borders of
Uganda into Sudan, Central Republic of Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Despite
many attempts, a peace agreement between the government of Uganda and the LRA has never
been signed. Nowadays, many IDPs have returned to their home village, the search for durable
solutions has started. The central aim of this research is to map the solutions of the government
and draw conclusions on how these solutions contribute to the achievement of durable solutions
for IDPs. Hence, the central research question is to what extent are the solutions provided by the
government of Uganda as a response to the plight of internal displacement durable. The central
solution in this research is the Peace, Recovery and Development Plan (PRDP). To answer the
central question, this research draws upon a literature study and an empirical field study
conducted in Gulu, northern Uganda.
Based on the factors included in the framework for durable solutions, conclusions can be drawn
on the main findings of this research. Having analyzed the government interventions under the
PRDP, the conclusion will show that there is a discrepancy between policy and practice. The
PRDP as a document corresponds to all factors included in the framework for durable solutions.
Therefore, the document gives high hopes that durable solutions for IDPs will be achieved.
However, the practical interventions conducted by the government under the PRDP draw a
different picture. First of all, these interventions do not correspond to all factors described in the
framework for durable solutions and secondly, those that do correspond are profoundly based
on the establishment of hardware structures, like schools, roads, and police posts. Due to a lack
of training and empowerment programs, the software component is being neglected, resulting in
poor access and functionality of these structures. Overall, the solutions initiated by the
government under the PRDP will contribute to durable solutions. However, whether they will be
achieved within the timeframe of the PRDP is highly questioned. Derived from the research,
various recommendations towards the government of Uganda can be made in an attempt to
increase the effectiveness of the PRDP.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen