Paving The Way

May 2008 | Ratings Update

Following the absence of military clashes in northern Uganda for over two years, UNICEF reported that about half of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) had returned by the end of 2007. However, with still a significant proportion of the population not having resettled and the postponement of the peace negotiations potentially further delaying IDPs' repatriation, efforts to jump-start the economy, especially the agricultural sector, will remain of limited effectiveness. Furthermore, returning IDPs could also pose a threat to social stability and security, mainly because a large number of homecoming IDPs increases competition for already scarce resources. Moreover, some IDPs might discover that their previous possessions have been expropriated, thus increasing tensions and possibly leading to violence.

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