On June 8, I arrive in Entebbe, the location of Uganda's main airport. If all goes according to plan, I will already be with the rest of my DE cohorts, having met up with them in Amsterdam first. We spend a day in Kampala, the capital, before leaving for Mbarara, where we are staying this summer. The Kampala-Mbarara commute takes at least a few hours. We'll return to Kampala in late July for our Nile River rafting trip.
Although we're living in Mbarara this summer, our interventions take place in Kashongi, a sub-county in Southwestern Uganda. We commute approximately two hours each day--one hour there, one hour back. These areas are actually very safe, and violent crime is rare, especially towards foreigners. That said, common sense still applies, whether you're in Durham or Mbarara.
We won't travel to Northern Uganda at all. Since 1987, a rebel group called the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has fought a civil war against the Ugandan government. The conflict has had devastating effects--mass murders, the kidnapping of children for use as sex slaves and child soldiers, a huge number of displaced persons--yet it was largely considered one of the major "forgotten" humanitarian crises by academics and human rights advocates. Peace talks began in 2006 and a "permanent ceasefire" was signed in 2008, but there have still been reports of continued fighting and attacks since then.
For those who are interested, below is a report on the war from NPR's Morning Edition. It's a bit outdated (Dec. 2003) but still offers compelling coverage and background of the conflict's roots.
For those who are interested, below is a report on the war from NPR's Morning Edition. It's a bit outdated (Dec. 2003) but still offers compelling coverage and background of the conflict's roots.
"The LRA claims to want to overthrow the government of Uganda and replace it with an administration based on the 10 Commandments. The cult-like rebels group, however, rarely attacks government targets and has few qualms about violating the Biblical commandments against killing, stealing, and adultery."
