Rights Watch Criticises LRA, Govt
Oct 30, 2002
ATTACKING civilians has become the primary focus of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), the US based Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said.
By John Kakande
ATTACKING civilians has become the primary focus of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), the US based Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said.
“Civilians are not simply caught in the crossfire of this war, but have become the primary focus of LRA attacks,†said Jemera Rone, a researcher in HRW’s Africa division.
“Since May 2002, the LRA has increased its attacks in northern Uganda, abducting and killing civilians, and looting villages, camps for internally displaced persons, and Sudanese refugee camps,†said an HRW statement issued in New York yesterday.
Rone also criticised the government, saying it had not taken “the necessary precautions to protect civilians.â€
He criticised the government for asking the local people to stay in camps where conditions are poor. The organisation said the government had the responsibility to ensure good conditions in the camps.
“Even where the security of the civilians is at stake, or imperative military reasons require displacement, ‘all possible measures should be taken in order that the civilian population may be received under satisfactory conditions of shelter, hygiene, health, safety and nutrition,’†according to Protocol II of the Geneva Conventions.
The HRW said 552,000 Ugandans had been displaced or were at the risk of starvation.
Ends
ATTACKING civilians has become the primary focus of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), the US based Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said.
“Civilians are not simply caught in the crossfire of this war, but have become the primary focus of LRA attacks,†said Jemera Rone, a researcher in HRW’s Africa division.
“Since May 2002, the LRA has increased its attacks in northern Uganda, abducting and killing civilians, and looting villages, camps for internally displaced persons, and Sudanese refugee camps,†said an HRW statement issued in New York yesterday.
Rone also criticised the government, saying it had not taken “the necessary precautions to protect civilians.â€
He criticised the government for asking the local people to stay in camps where conditions are poor. The organisation said the government had the responsibility to ensure good conditions in the camps.
“Even where the security of the civilians is at stake, or imperative military reasons require displacement, ‘all possible measures should be taken in order that the civilian population may be received under satisfactory conditions of shelter, hygiene, health, safety and nutrition,’†according to Protocol II of the Geneva Conventions.
The HRW said 552,000 Ugandans had been displaced or were at the risk of starvation.
Ends