UPDF offers medical lifeline to ex-LRA fighters burdened by war wounds

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The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has issued a formal appeal encouraging former Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) combatants living with retained bullet fragments to seek free surgical treatment at the UPDF hospital in Gulu.

The initiative follows reports that many former combatants and war-affected individuals in the Acholi sub-region continue to suffer chronic pain and other complications long after the end of the conflict.

Simon Opige a mobiliser among LRA remnants addressing journalists. (Photo by Christopher Nyeko)

Research by GWED-G, a Gulu-based non-governmental organisation that works with LRA returnees, indicates that more than 500 people in the Acholi sub-region are living with bullet fragments lodged in different parts of their bodies.

The injuries were sustained during armed confrontations involving government forces and other insurgent groups across Uganda, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Among those affected is Florence Akello, who has lived for more than a decade with a bullet fragment lodged in her head.

Akello said that although an earlier intervention by a non-governmental organisation enabled the removal of another fragment, the remaining splinter in the occipital region requires specialised surgery that she cannot afford.

“I live with constant pain every day,” Akello stated, underscoring the silent suffering endured by many former combatants and abductees attempting to reintegrate into civilian life while carrying untreated war-related injuries.

Health complications linked to retained bullet fragments have also been associated with broader socio-economic challenges facing LRA returnees.

Michael Otim Munu, a fomer LRA commander speaking during a crisis meeting. (Photo by Christopher Nyeko)

Simon Opige, a mobiliser among LRA remnants, warned that unresolved health concerns, difficulties with social reintegration and limited access to land could push some returnees towards reconsidering insurgent activity.

In response, Maj. Gen. Felix Busizoori, the commander of the UPDF 4th Infantry Division, during a stakeholders meeting at the Office of the Prime Minister in Gulu city, said the UPDF hospital in Gulu has the capacity to conduct the required surgical procedures to remove bullet fragments.

He added that the surgeries will be offered free of charge, and that patients requiring more advanced procedures will be referred to national referral hospitals for specialised care.

State minister for northern Uganda in the Office of the Prime Minister, Kenneth Omona, expressed concern that many returnees have continued to suffer despite the availability of health facilities across the country.

“I am surprised that some of these individuals have remained silent about their pain for such an extended period,” Omona said.

Florence Akello who has lived for more than a decade with a bullet fragment lodged in her head. (Photo by Christopher Nyeko)

He called on leaders within the LRA returnee community to compile a comprehensive list of those still affected by retained bullet fragments to enable the government to provide timely medical support.

The programme marks a renewed effort by the UPDF and government agencies to address long-standing health and socio-economic challenges faced by former LRA combatants and other war-affected populations in Northern Uganda.