Uganda: religious appeal on behalf of suffering north

Living conditions in northern Uganda have been described as appalling by a group of Catholic religious who visited the area last week. In a statement sent to CISA, Sisters Mary Kajubi, Annet Nankusu, Susan Nankya and Jo Wright- describe how 16 shelters put up by NGOs at Lacor Hospital are accommodating more than 2 500 children, some without any clothing. They said: "We were struck by child mothers with little children and other women escapees, who are pregnant without knowing which man got them pregnant." The sisters said that many of the children in these camps were abducted and trained to kill and maim their own people. "The psychological and physical trauma of these returnees is beyond comprehension," the sisters said. They explained how every evening, thousands of people, most of them women with naked children, walk to Gulu Township to find a place on a veranda to spend the night, in the hope of being safe from an attack by the rebels. "The full extent of the destruction and suffering inflicted by the Kony Rebels has been out of the public eye". On Thursday the Association of Religious in Uganda, through its Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission held a prayer service at Christ the King church before presenting a report to parliament on conditions in the north. A spokesman said the event was "a moment that the Religious of Uganda will use to exercise their voice on behalf of the suffering of our land". After the presentation, Mass was celebrated before the group walked in procession to the Irish Embassy where they met representatives of the international donor community. Source: CISA