Uganda

English/Nat A shadowy rebel group has brought a reign of terror to northern Uganda. The Lord's Resistance Army is accused of butchering hundreds of civilians in its war to topple the Ugandan government. APTV visited the northern town of Gulu, in the heart of rebel territory, where the local population is subjected to constant rebel attacks. Thousands of soldiers garrisoned in and around Gulu have failed to deter rebel attacks by the Lord's Resistance Army or L-R-A. Government troops comb towns and countryside for the shadowy rebel organisation that's brought mayhem to northern Uganda for almost a decade. Some doubt the army -- or Ugandan People's Defence Force, as it's know here -- will ever ben able to defeat the L-R-A. The Ugandan army says the rebels are generously supplied with weapons by the government of neighbouring Sudan. SOUNDBITE: (English) Certainly these rebels have got their bases in Sudan and that's where they've got their political and material support. So they get them from their Sudanese supporters. These are mines from the Sudan government. SUPER CAPTION: Lieutenant Shabaan, UPDF As in so many civil wars, it's the civilian population who bear the brunt of the hostilities. Night is the most dangerous time and many villagers now trek in to Gulu each evening in search of the relative safety if the town. There they crowd into makeshift shelters in public buildings. Recently the L-R-A ordered the civilian population to come out of Gulu and join the rebellion. Since then, it's stepped up its attacks, burning houses and kidnapping villagers in a bid to force them into their ranks. In a recent attack, the rebels seized 39 students at a Gulu school. This man was one of the few who got away. SOUNDBITE: (English) I think if I had not run they would have taken me with the boys that they had gone with. SUPER CAPTION: Alfred Odong, LRA survivor Amnesty International says the L-R-A has slaughtered more than 300 civilians since March. Most of the patients in this clinic in the Ugandan town of Gulu have had limbs torn off by landmines allegedly planted by the These teenagers are learning how to play once more after escaping from the rebels' clutches. All of them were kidnapped by the L-R-A and forced to join in terrorising the local community. Counsellors at a rehabilitation centre run by an international aid organisation say many of them are scarred for life by their experience. SOUNDBITE: (English) Normally when they come, when they first come, one thing is they look very timid. They are so fearful, they have got psychological effects that are usually seen. You will find that they have very poor memory. Also they don't speak freely. SUPER CAPTION: David Lukungu, counsellor, World Vision Staff at the centre help the youngsters catch up on some of their lost education. Girls who are abducted have it particularly tough. Some say they were taken to L-R-A camps in Sudan where they are forced to marry L- R-A members. Reports of ill-treatment and rape are widespread. SOUNDBITE: (Acholi) When we reached there (Sudan) I was given to a man and he treated me very badly. He beat me. SUPER CAPTION: Jennifer Oyella (15), former rebel abductee SOUNDBITE: (Acholi) They abused me and hurt me as a girl. Sometimes when I think about it I still feel very bad. SUPER CAPTION: Lily Amony (17), former rebel abductee The former abductees conjure up some fleeting comfort with a traditional song. But with the L-R-A attacks increasing, there's no sign of harmony returning to this troubled land. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/63f864b12d986c94a157a6e87365f854 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork

• published: 21 Jul 2015
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