Thousands of Americans Petition Government for Action to End Uganda War

WASHINGTON D.C. – The Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN) will today deliver a petition to the U.S. President and key members of Congress demanding that they take the lead in ending the war in northern Uganda. Called “the world’s worst neglected humanitarian crisis” by UN Humanitarian Coordinator Jan Egeland, the war causes an estimated 1,000 deaths every week and has led to the abduction of tens of thousands of children. The petition, signed by 8,744 Americans and distributed by AFJN’s Uganda-CAN campaign, calls on President Bush and the U.S. Congress to make ending the 20 year war in northern Uganda a priority.

“We believe President Bush and the U.S. government can and must do more to end this crisis,” said Fr. Bill Dyer, Executive Director of AFJN. “Through a number of decisive steps, the United States can effectively contribute to peace and development in the region.”

The petition urges the United States to provide “sustained political and diplomatic attention” to the crisis by appointing a high-profile envoy to support mediation and bolster regional cooperation in ending the war. It further calls on the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to develop a plan to monitor human rights and increase humanitarian assistance to those displaced by the conflict.

“The nearly 9,000 people who signed this petition—and more each day—are realizing that the horrors experienced by children in Uganda are preventable,” said Michael Poffenberger, Uganda-CAN co-founder and AFJN Associate Director. “Through this petition and other actions, we are building a movement of people who demand that our leaders take responsibility to protect life in Uganda.”

Background Information:

The war in northern Uganda has persisted for more than two decades. At least 30,000 children have been abducted and forced into child soldiering or sexual slavery. Roughly 1.7 million people are currently confined to internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. The Ugandan Ministry of Health and United Nations recently concluded that there are 1,000 excess deaths per week due to the war, largely the result of squalid camp conditions. Yet, the international community has done little to respond to this emergency.

Uganda-CAN, an advocacy campaign of AFJN, works to engage a grassroots movement of people toward building international political will to end the crisis. Learn more at www.UgandaCAN.org