Awareness & Immediate Action by the United Nations & Governments of the West for the End to the War and Mindless Suffering and Human Rights Violations in Northern Uganda Immediately

Uganda, a small country in Eastern Africa has gone throughmuch change in recent years. A successful transition from the turmoilsof the 70s and 80s to its current thriving economy, successfultackling of the AIDs epidemic, adoption of free education, and evenseating the first female Vice-President in Africa has won much acclaim.Even two US presidents have made state visits in the last five yearsalone. Only a few countries in Africa have had such recognition by theWhite House. A country of such outstanding beauty, wildlife, andculture, once coined by Churchil as the Pearl of Africa holds a darksecret that is being consciously ignored.

For eighteen years Northern Uganda has been blighted by apointless war waged by a deluded man who wishes to rule Uganda based ona severely corrupt version of the Biblical Ten Commandments. And on adaily basis genocide is being committed; children are being abducted,raped, killed, trained to fight or turned into sex slaves for thesavage commanders of the Lords Resistance Army (LRA). Some humanitarianorganisations claim that more than 20,000 children alone have beenabducted and turned into child soldiers or sex slaves. The crimesagainst humanity are endless and the Wests ignorance to what is goingon is even more criminal. The Government of Uganda is fighting with itslimited resources a futile and endless battle against these tyrants,but the West is paying no recognition to its pleas to assist in endingthis madness. UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, JanEgeland has said whilst speaking to the BBC:

"I cannot find any other part of the world that is having anemergency on the scale of Uganda, that is getting such littleinternational attention,"

It is incomprehensible that we pay so much attention toIraq and Afghanistan whilst an even greater humanitarian crisis isbeing played in the barren fields of Southern Sudan and NorthernUganda. It is also beyond our understanding that the media choose topay so much attention elsewhere, but none in educating the people ofthe world on the plight of the people of Northern Uganda. What criteriado we choose in our coverage? Are the lives of Western soldiers moreimportant then that of Ugandan children? Is Iraq more important thenUganda? Perhaps more attention would be paid if it had oil? Mr. Egelandstates further:

"It is a moral outrage that the world is doing so little for thevictims of the war, especially children

Whilst we choose to focus all our attention on Iraq, theOlympics, or in other matters, remember that hundreds are dying on adaily basis, thousands are being displaced, and torture andexploitation is rampant. There is no regard for human rights or thesanctity of life in these regions. The United Nations and leaders ofthe world have sidelined these issues.

Religious leaders, Christian and Muslim, government, and peoplethroughout Uganda have joined in solidarity and have voiced theirconcerns regarding the plight of Northern Uganda, but again thesevoices are being ignored.

The purpose of this petition is to promote awareness and to listen totheir crying voices. I urge you to read up on it, create awareness,bring it up with your leaders, write a letter, or create a petition.The avenues are endless, and so is the death toll. We urge you to signour petition and realize your voice can make a difference to theunheard voices of the thousands in the beautiful Eden known as Uganda.

We demand from Governments of the West (particularly the USA and UK),United Nations, European Union, and the world media the following:

Immediate humanitarian relief be provided to affected areas in theNorth of Uganda.

Military and intelligence support/aid be provided to theGovernment of Uganda to capture LRA troops and Kony himself.

Remove foreign donor policies that restrict Uganda from investingin military and surveillance equipment until the LRA have beeneliminated.

Substantial increase in humanitarian aid budget currently beingprovided.

Promote greater cooperation and dialogue between Sudan and Ugandain regards to the war in North of Uganda and Southern Sudan.

Raise domestic governmental prioritisation of this issue anddesignate the region as a disaster zone.

Greater United Nations Security Council prioritisation of the warin Northern Uganda and designation as a disaster zone.

Increase in media coverage about the atrocities currently takingplace in Northern Uganda.

Your contribution to solving this emergency is essential, pleaseforward this e-mail to as many people as you know and sign our petitionat the following URL:

http://www.petitiononline.com/UGANDA/petition.html

CONTACT US ON OUR AWARENESS EMAIL:

[email protected]

RELEVANT ARTICLES:

BBC ARTICLE: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2982818.stm

REUTERS: http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID)35650

ASSIST NEWS: http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/s03060092.htm

UNITED NATIONS

WEBSITE: http://www.un.org/

EMAIL: [email protected]

GOVERNMENTAL WEBSITES

US GOVERNMENT: http://www.whitehouse.gov/

UK GOVERNMENT: http://www.number-10.gov.uk

UGANDAN GOVERNMENT: http://www.government.go.ug/

GENERAL UGANDA INFO:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/africa/uganda/

http://www.myuganda.co.ug/