Urge the UK government to help the people of Uganda

25,000 children have been abducted as soldiers and sexual slaves, and nearly 2 million people have fled their homes during Uganda’s civil war. The UK Government can help the people of Uganda – when it has the presidency of the UN Security Council in December. But we need you to tell them to.

Please write to Jack Straw, the UK Foreign Secretary, and in your own words:

Highlight the desperate plight of over 2 million people living in fear in Northern Uganda.
1. Write to Jack Straw


By post:

Rt Hon Jack Straw MP,
Foreign Office,
House of Commons,
London, SW1A 0AA

or By fax: 0207 839 2417
Send your name and
supporter number (if you
have one) to:



campaigning@oxfam.org.uk

with the word JACK in
the subject line.


Ask him to ensure the UK uses its presidency of the UN Security Council to pass a resolution challenging the Government of Uganda to act now.

Tell him that the resolution must call for the Ugandan Government to protect its people, guarantee safe unimpeded access for aid agencies, and pursue a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

Why is Oxfam asking us to take this urgent action?

For 19 years, the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) has waged a civil war against the Government of Uganda. This has led to a humanitarian crisis of enormous proportions: almost 2 million people have been forced to flee their homes and live in camps; over half a million have been killed. The Government of Uganda persists in pursuing an aggressive military approach to this conflict. We believe this strategy is not working and is in fact putting communities at greater risk.

Over the past few weeks we have seen an escalation of violence. Brutal LRA attacks have left three aid workers dead and several injured. As a result, aid agencies have been forced to temporarily suspend or limit their relief work, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without enough food, clean water and basic health care.

The Government of Uganda is not living up to its responsibility to protect civilians and ensure they have access to humanitarian aid. The international community must pressure them to meet this responsibility.


So why are we asked to write to Jack Straw now?

In December the UK will take over the presidency of the United Nations Security Council, the organisation charged with maintaining world security.

After 20 years of almost total lack of action, the Security Council must pass a resolution urging the government of Uganda to make the protection of communities its first priority. The UK, during its presidency, could be pivotal in making this happen. As Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw is a position to take this forward.

During its current presidency of the European Union, the UK has shown its leadership in getting governments to come together and agree a joint EU statement urging the government of Uganda to take action. They should use their presidency of the Security Council to do the same.


Lives and communities continue to be destroyed

Despite the Government of Uganda’s constant claims that the end of this conflict is in sight, for most people safety and security are still distant dreams. The people caught up in this conflict experience horrendous suffering on a daily basis.

Over 25,000 children have been abducted by the LRA and forced into fighting and sexual slavery. Abductions continue to occur regularly.
Up to 40,000 children are forced from their homes to commute nightly to sleep in safe centres in towns to avoid abduction.
Over 1.7 million people are currently confined to camps for displaced people.
Each week, 1,000 civilians die from war-related deaths, including from preventable diseases.
Oxfam believes that the Government of Uganda and the international community need to live up to their responsibility to protect the hundreds of thousands of people suffering as a result of this horrific conflict.

A UN Security Council resolution to protect communities would be a strong statement of the international community's commitment to prevent the long term suffering of the people of northern Uganda, and a strident step towards bringing about a just and lasting peace.


Summary

Now is the time to urge the UK government to use its position within the Security Council.

We have already seen groundbreaking progress lead by the UK in Europe on this issue, but this is not enough.

The Security Council must pass a resolution and during its presidency the UK could be instrumental in ensuring that communities once again feel safe in northern Uganda.


Write to:

Rt Hon Jack Straw MP,
Foreign Office,
House of Commons,
London, SW1A 0AA.

or fax Jack Straw on: 0207 839 2417.

Please send your letter or fax by 1 December. The earlier you write, the more impact you will have. Let Oxfam know that you’ve written to Jack Straw MP by:

Emailing your name and supporter number to campaigning@oxfam.org.uk with the word JACK in the subject line.

Alternatively, text the word JACK, your name and supporter number to 87099.

It’s important to tell Oxfam that you have written to Jack Straw MP so that they can follow up on the action you’ve taken.