UGANDA

NORTHERN CONFLICTS
by the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(MONUC) in 2003-04. 264
The Government of Uganda and the WNBF never engaged in official peace negotiations. 265
Apart from benefiting from the Amnesty Act (2000) and basic resettlement packages,
the Ugandan Government has not provided former combatants with demobilisation
and reintegration support, 266 rendering both the repatriation of former WNBF fighters
and community reconciliation very difficult. A former WNBF combatant stated in 2004
that “Now we are comparing the bush life with this life. Communities have hatred and
suspect…we were received badly by the communities. We don’t stay with them”. 267
WNBF forces are widely held to have been “the most offensive, rebellious [insurgency
group]. If you refused to join you were immediately their sworn enemy. They lost a lot
of favour due to the planting of landmines. Their negative relations with the community
led to their failure”. 268 The general perspective among participants was that the victims
of WBNF violence, namely the general population of West Nile region, had yet to see
justice done.
46. Uganda National Rescue Front II
(1998-2002)
Uganda National Rescue Front
(UNRF) II was a rebel group formed
in West Nile in 1996 and led by
Ali Bamuze, formerly a senior
commander in the UNRF I.
The origins of the UNRF II
lie in mistrust around the
disbanding and demobilisation
of UNRF I in 1985/86. Despite
initial fears of reprisals in West
Nile following the overthrow
of Tito Okello Lutwa in 1986,
the Museveni-led National
Resistance Army (NRA) brought
a degree of peace to the region.
In line with the Tripoli Agreement
signed between Museveni and Moses
Ali, steps were also taken to begin the
process of integrating UNRF I into the new
264 Community Dynamics in West Nile: A Situation Analysis. (2004) DANIDA, June, p. 12.
265 Ibid, p. 28
266 Ibid
267 Ibid
268 Refugee Law Project (2004) Negotiating peace: Resolution of conflicts in the Uganda’s West Nile region,
RLP working paper no. 12, p.15
123