Displacement still a problem in northern Uganda

A displacement camp or 'protected village' at the height of the conflict in northern Uganda. Most of these displaced families have returned to their villages, but the UN estimates that about 300,000 people remain in camps like these.The UN reports that even today, 6 years after the LRA were 'kicked out' of Uganda, there are still over 30,000 internally displaced people living in camps. The statement comes as a stark contrast to the claims by the Ugandan government that all IDPs have now returned home and there are no more displacement camps. 

More than 1.8 million people lived in over 250 camps throughout the conflict between the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and the Ugandan governmentwhich lasted for over 20 years and ended in 2006. 

Those who are still living in the displacement camps today are getting minimum government support. A plan for recovery ( peace, recovery and development plan (PRDP)), launched in 2007, was executed by the UNHCR. As the UNHCR is now withdrawing from northern Uganda there are growing fears that the remaining displaced will be neglected.  The Ugandan government, however, claims it will extend the PRDP programme for another 3 years.

IRT's work in the region is therefore crucial. We started work in the region 20 years ago when the majority of the population was displaced and refugees from Sudan flooded the country. Now that most Sudanse refugees have returned to their country and the IDPs to their villages, IRT is still active in the region. Many of the people we work with were displaced for such a long time, that rebuilding their lives is going to take many years. With a focus on long term projects and reviving the agricultural economy we hope that our beneficiaries will one day no longer live in poverty and can live independently of aid.

Read 'Northern Uganda's displaced people are left to fend for themselves' in the Guardian.

Proud to protect refugees

The Refugee Council is a charity that helps UK based refugees and asylum seekers by ensuring they are given protection, treated with respect and understanding and receive the same rights, opportunities and responsibilities as other members of our society.

Last year the Refugee Council launched the 'Proud to protect refugees' Pledge to remind people about the UN Refugee Convention, the international treaty which guarantees refugees’ rights. The Convention was signed 60 years ago, however protection for refugees is just as relevant today as it ever was.

The Pledge asks the government 'to show international leadership on refugee issues and to encourage all countries to meet their obligations toward refugees'. 

The Pledge is to be presented at Parliament in March 2012. At the event a discussion will be held on the issues which came out of various seminars which have been hosted along side the campaign.  The Refugee Council will also be introducing their forthcoming policy initiatives. 

To support this campaign to raise awareness about the need to protect refugees, please sign the Proud To Protect Refugees Pledge.

Colombian government rejects Farc peace talks

Society's most vulnerable: this little girl was forced with her family to leave their home in the rural areas of Colombia and flee to the slums of Bogota to find safety. A peace deal between the Farc and the government would mean that one day they can return home.Farc’s (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) new leader, Rodrigo Londono, has made an offer for peace talks at a “hypothetical negotiating table”, which was subsequently rejected by Colombia’s President Santos. The President stated that the country needs “clear acts of peace” before it will negotiate with the Farc.

The left-wing Farc rebels, who have been responsible for murder, kidnappings and drug trafficking in Colombia since the 1960s, have suffered a number of setbacks at the hands of the Colombian government in recent years. Last November, their then-leader Alfonso Cano was killed by state security forces, along with a number of fighters.

The last ceasefire between Farc and the Colombian government ended in 2002, when Farc hijacked a plane. President Santos has stated that new talks cannot begin before Farc release all hostages and end attacks in the country.

Despite massive anti-Farc demonstrations across Colombia last December, Farc still hold sway in many rural areas, in part due to revenues raised from cocaine production and trafficking. They illustrated the threat they still pose on Saturday, attacking and destroying a radar installation in southern Cauca region. This attack resulted in the death of one policeman and disruption of aviation across large areas of Colombia.

IRT supports a community development organisation in Colombia’s capital, Bogota. This organisation works with internally displaced people (IDPs) who had to flee the country side due to the continuing unrest, teaching them skills such as breadmaking and IT.

Read more about IRT's projects in Colombia.

Eritrean refugees easy targets for human traffickers

Although many displaced people are able to return home in Eritrea, tensions along the border with Ethiopia remain and there are still thousands of Eritrean refugees in Sudan. They are extremely vulnerable to abductions and trafficking. Antonio Guterres, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, has warned of the ongoing problem of trafficking of Eritrean refugees in a recent visit to (north) Sudan, which receives thousands of Eritrean asylum seekers every month.

Mr. Guterres spoke of a “criminal network of smugglers and traffickers” who are exploiting the desperate situation of thousands of Eritrean refugees, many of whom are attempting to reach Israel.

This criminal network, which is active in at least Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt, kidnaps refugees for a ransom of up to $10,000. If this ransom is not paid, the refugees are sometimes “killed for the traffic of organs” in Egypt’s Sinai desert, Mr. Guterres has stated.

To tackle this problem, which until now has gone unnoticed by the international community, UNHCR has asked for $2 million of funding to work with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and Sudanese authorities.

Two days following this announcement, Sudanese authorities announced that they captured “a network of people smugglers”, who had been running an operation smuggling Eritrean refugees to Israel. Four Eritrean refugees were found with the people smugglers, along with weapons, satellite telephones and false documents, highlighting the professionalism of these criminal groups.

However, despite the recent Sudanese effort, it is believed that hundreds of Eritreans are still being held in the Sinai by Bedouin gangs, who are taking advantage of the political situation in Egypt to escape prosecution and profit from the desperation of Eritrean refugees.

IRT works on sustainable development projects in Eritrea with internally displaced people (IDPs) from the Ethiopia-Eritrea conflict. These IDPs were displaced for many years and are now trying to return home and rebuild their lives. IRT aims to help them get back on their feet. Go to IRT's Projects in Eritrea for more information. 

Cautious optimism - Burma ceasefire

Indication of location of Thai-Burma border in relation to the UK. Thailand has been receiving refugees from neighbouring Burma for decades. Click on map to view the location of Hpa-an in Burma, where the ceasefire was agreed, and Mae Sot in Thailand, where IRT supports various refugee projects.A ceasefire has been agreed between Burma’s military-backed government and the Karen National Union (KNU) at a meeting in Hpa-an, the capital of Karen state. The ceasefire includes the promise to open permanent communication channels between the Karen and the national government.

This could be a major breakthrough for Burmese refugees, a large number of whom are Karen, especially coupled with the recent government reforms and release of political prisoners in Burma.

The KNU has been fighting for greater autonomy for Karen state since 1949, which has led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. The Burmese army has been accused by human rights groups of summary executions, torture and rape, as well as looting and the destruction of property.

Members of the Karen diaspora are cautiously optimistic upon hearing the news, with Karen Communities Worldwide urging the government to “solve the political problems behind the conflict, such as the guarantee of ethnic rights and culture". Until this happens, the group maintain that “it is not safe to return to Burma".

A Burmese family in Mae Sot, Thailand, at one of IRT's projects. We support Burmese refugees by providing education and skills training as well as opportunities for income generation.Despite previous ceasefires failing, and often being exploited by the military to make gains into ethnic regions, there is more optimism attached to this one, given the current political environment in Burma.

Following internationally condemned elections in November 2010, most viewed the new civilian government led by Thein Sein as a puppet administration for the military regime. Since then however, Thein Sein has embarked on a number of reforms, including the release of hundreds of political prisoners such as pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

However, while a long-term peace agreement is yet to be reached between Burma's government and ethnic minority groups, tens of thousands of refugees remain in Thailand. It is here that IRT provides support to local organisations by funding schools, skills training for adults and income generation projects.

Watch the Associated Press (AP)'s report on the ceasefire and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's comments on the event.

IRT's supporters will be running the London 10K for Burmese refugee families in Thailand this year. Find out more about the London 10K Run 2012 here.