Uganda - Tips
Uganda
Bureau of African
Affairs
June
2007
Background Note:
Uganda
Flag of Uganda is six equal horizontal bands of black - top - yellow,
red,
black, yellow, and red; white disk is superimposed
at center and depicts
red-crested crane
facing hoist
side.
PROFILE
OFFICIAL
NAME:
Republic of
Uganda
Geography
Area: 241,040 sq. km. (93,070 sq. mi.); about the size of
Oregon.
Cities: Capital--Kampala (2002 pop. 1.2 million). Other
cities--Jinja, Gulu,
Mbale,
Mbarara.
Terrain: 18% inland water and swamp; 12% national parks, forest, and
game
reserves; 70% forest, woodland,
grassland.
Climate: In the northeast, semi-arid--rainfall less than 50 cm. (20
in.); in
southwest, rainfall 130 cm. (50 in.) or more. Two dry
seasons: Dec.-Feb. and
June-July.
People
Nationality: Noun and
adjective--Ugandan(s).
Population (2007): 30.9
million.
Annual growth rate (2004 est.):
4.0%.
Ethnic groups: African 99%, European, Asian, Arab
1%.
Religions (2007): Christian 85%, Muslim 12%, other
2%.
Languages: English (official); Luganda and Swahili widely used; other
Bantu
and Nilotic
languages.
Education: Attendance (2000; primary school enrollment, public and
private)
--89%. Literacy
(2003)--70%.
Health: Infant mortality rate--86/1,000. Life expectancy--45.3
yrs.
Government
Type:
Republic.
Constitution: Ratified July 12, 1995; promulgated October 8,
1995.
Independence: October 9,
1962.
Branches: Executive--president, vice president, prime minister,
cabinet.
Legislative--parliament.
Judicial--Magistrate's Court, High Court, Court of
Appeals,
Supreme
Court.
Administrative subdivisions: 80
districts.
Political parties: In 2006, approximately 33 parties were allowed
to
function,
including political parties that existed in 1986, when the National
Resistance Movement assumed
power.
Suffrage: Universal
adult.
National holiday: Independence Day, October
9.
Economy
GDP (nominal, 2005/2006): $9.4
billion.
Inflation rate (annual headline or CPI, 2005/2006):
6.6%.
Natural resources: Copper, cobalt, limestone, phosphate,
oil.
Agriculture: Cash crops--coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco, sugar cane,
cut
flowers, vanilla. Food
crops--bananas, corn, cassava, potatoes, millet,
pulses. Livestock and fisheries--beef, goat meat, milk, Nile perch,
tilapia.
Industry: Types--processing of agricultural products (cotton
ginning, coffee
curing), cement production, light consumer goods,
textiles.
Trade: Exports (2005/2006)--$887.5 million: coffee, fish and fish
products,
tea, electricity, horticultural products, vanilla,
cut flowers, remittances
from abroad. Major markets--EU, Kenya,
South Africa, U.K., U.S. Imports (2005
/2006)--$1.99 billion: capital
equipment, vehicles, petroleum, medical
supplies, chemical, cereals. Major suppliers--OPEC countries, Kenya,
EU,
India, South Africa,
U.S.
Fiscal year: July 1-June
30.
PEOPLE AND
HISTORY
Africans of three main ethnic groups--Bantu, Nilotic,
and
Nilo-Hamitic--constitute most of the population. The Bantu are the
most
numerous and include the Baganda,
which, with 18% of the
population,
constitute the largest single ethnic group. Individual ethnic groups in
the
southwest include the Banyankole and Bahima, 10%; the
Bakiga, 8%; the
Banyarwanda, 6%; the Bunyoro, 3%; and the Batoro, 3%. Residents of the
north,
largely Nilotic, include the Langi, 6%, and the Acholi, 4%. In
the northwest
are the Lugbara, 4%, and the Karamojong, 2%, occupy the
considerably drier,
largely pastoral territory in the
northeast. The Basoga, 8% and the Bagisu,
5% are among ethnic
groups in the East. Europeans, Asians, and Arabs make up
about 1% of
the population with other groups accounting for the remainder.
Uganda's population is predominately rural, and its population
density
highest in the southern
regions. Until 1972, Asians constituted the largest
nonindigenous ethnic group in Uganda. In that year, the Idi Amin
regime
expelled 50,000 Asians, who had
been engaged in trade, industry, and various
professions. In the
years since Amin's overthrow in 1979, Asians have slowly
returned and
now number around 30,000. Other nonindigenous people in Uganda
include Arabs, Western missionaries, non-governmental organization
(NGO)
workers, diplomats, and business
people.
When Arab traders moved inland from their enclaves along the Indian
Ocean
coast of East Africa and reached the interior
of Uganda in the 1830s, they
found several African
kingdoms with well-developed political institutions
dating back several centuries. These traders were followed in the 1860s
by
British explorers searching for the source of the Nile
River. Protestant
missionaries entered the
country in 1877, followed by Catholic missionaries
in
1879.
In 1888, control of the emerging British "sphere of interest" in East
Africa
was assigned by royal charter to the Imperial British East
Africa Company, an
arrangement strengthened in 1890 by an Anglo-German
agreement confirming
British dominance over
Kenya and Uganda. In 1894, the Kingdom of Buganda was
placed under a
formal British
protectorate.
Britain granted internal self-government to Uganda in 1961, with the
first
elections held on March 1, 1961. Benedicto Kiwanuka
of the Democratic Party
became the first Chief Minister. Uganda
maintained its
Commonwealth
membership. A second round of elections in April 1962 elected members to
a
new National Assembly. Milton Obote, leader of the
majority coalition in the
National Assembly, became prime minister
and led Uganda to
formal
independence on October 9,
1962.
In succeeding years, supporters of a centralized state vied with
those in
favor of a loose federation and a strong
role for tribally-based local
kingdoms. Political maneuvering climaxed in February 1966, when
Prime
Minister Milton Obote
suspended the constitution, assumed all government
powers, and removed the ceremonial president and vice president. In
September
1967, a new constitution proclaimed Uganda a republic, gave
the president
even greater powers, and abolished
the traditional kingdoms. On January 25,
1971, Obote's
government was ousted in a military coup led by armed forces
commander Idi Amin Dada. Amin declared himself president, dissolved
the
parliament, and amended the
constitution to give himself absolute power.
Idi Amin's 8-year rule produced economic decline, social
disintegration, and
massive human rights violations. The Acholi and
Langi ethnic groups were
particular objects
of Amin's political persecution because they had supported
Obote and
made up a large part of the army. In 1978, the
International
Commission of
Jurists estimated that more than 100,000 Ugandans had
been
murdered during Amin's reign of terror;
some authorities place the figure
much
higher.
In October 1978, Tanzanian armed forces repulsed an incursion of
Amin's
troops into Tanzanian territory.
The Tanzanian force, backed by Ugandan
exiles, waged a war of liberation against Amin's troops and Libyan
soldiers
sent to help him. On April 11, 1979, Kampala was
captured, and Amin fled with
his remaining
forces.
After Amin's removal, the Uganda National Liberation Front formed an
interim
government with Yusuf Lule as president. This government
adopted a
ministerial system of administration and created a quasi-parliamentary organ
known as the National Consultative Commission (NCC). The NCC and the
Lule
cabinet reflected widely differing political
views. In June 1979, following a
dispute over the extent of
presidential powers, the NCC replaced Lule with
Godfrey
Binaisa. In a continuing dispute over the powers of the
interim
presidency, Binaisa was removed
in May 1980. Thereafter, Uganda was ruled by
a military commission
chaired by Paulo Muwanga. December 1980 elections
returned the UPC to power under the leadership of President Obote,
with
Muwanga serving as vice president.
Under Obote, the security forces had one
of the world's worst
human rights records. In their efforts to stamp out an
insurgency led by Yoweri Museveni's National Resistance Army (NRA), they
laid
waste to a substantial section of the country, especially in the
Luwero area
north of
Kampala.
Obote ruled until July 27, 1985, when an army brigade, composed
mostly of
ethnic Acholi troops and commanded by Lt.
Gen. Basilio Olara-Okello, took
Kampala and
proclaimed a military government. Obote fled to exile in Zambia.
The
new regime, headed by former defense force commander Gen. Tito Okello
(no
relation to Lt. Gen. Olara-Okello), opened negotiations with
Museveni's
insurgent forces and pledged
to improve respect for human rights, end tribal
rivalry, and conduct
free and fair elections. In the meantime, massive human
rights
violations continued as the Okello government murdered civilians and
ravaged the countryside in order to destroy the NRA's
support.
Negotiations between the Okello government and the NRA were conducted
in
Nairobi in the fall of 1985, with Kenyan
President Daniel Moi seeking a
cease-fire and a coalition government in Uganda. Although agreeing in
late
1985 to a cease-fire, the NRA continued fighting,
seized Kampala in late
January 1986, and
assumed control of the country, forcing Okello to flee
north into Sudan. Museveni's forces organized a government with
Museveni as
president and dominated by the political grouping
called the National
Resistance Movement (NRM or the
"Movement").
A referendum was held in March 2000 on whether Uganda should retain
the
Movement system, with limited
operation of political parties, or adopt
multi-party politics. Although 70% of voters endorsed retention of
the
Movement system, the
referendum was widely criticized for low voter turnout
and
unfair restrictions on Movement opponents. Museveni was reelected to
a
second five-year term in March 2001. Parliamentary
elections were held in
June 2001, and more than 50%
of contested seats were won by newcomers.
Movement supporters nevertheless remained in firm control of the
legislative
branch. Observers believed that the 2001 presidential and
parliamentary
elections generally
reflected the will of the electorate; however, both were
marred by
serious irregularities, particularly in the period leading up to
the elections, such as restrictions on political party activities,
incidents
of violence, voter intimidation, and
fraud.
A Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) issued a report
proposing
comprehensive constitutional change in December 2003. The
government,
however, took
issue with many CRC recommendations and made counter-proposals
in
September 2004. A July 2005 national referendum resulted in the adoption
of a multiparty system of government and the subsequent inclusion
of
opposition parties
in elections and
government.
In February 2006, the country held its first multiparty general
elections
since President Museveni came to power in
1986. The election generally
reflected the will of the people, although serious irregularities
occurred.
Ruling NRM candidate President Museveni was declared
the winner with 59.26%
of the vote, giving him a third term in
office following the passage of a
controversial
amendment in June 2005 to eliminate presidential term limits.
Opposition FDC leader Kizza Besigye captured 37.39% of the vote, while
the
remaining contestants received less than 2% of the
vote each, according to
official figures from the
Electoral
Commission.
GOVERNMENT
The 1995 constitution established Uganda as a republic with an
executive,
legislative, and judicial branch. The
constitution provides for an executive
president, to be elected every
5 years. President Yoweri Museveni, in power
since 1986, was
elected in 1996 and reelected in 2001 and 2006. Legislative
responsibility is vested in the parliament; legislative elections were
last
held February 2006. There currently are 332 members of
parliament, of which
79 are women. The Ugandan judiciary
operates as an independent branch of
government and consists of magistrate's courts, high courts, courts
of
appeals, and the Supreme
Court. Parliament and the judiciary have significant
amounts of
independence and wield significant
power.
Principal Government
Officials
President and Commander in Chief--Yoweri Kaguta
Museveni
Vice President--Dr. Gilbert
Bukenya
Prime Minister--Apollo
Nsibambi
Foreign Minister--Sam
Kutesa
Minister of Defense--Crispus
Kiyonga
Ambassador to the United States--Perezi K.
Kamunanwire
Uganda maintains an embassy in the United States at 5909 16th Street
NW,
Washington, DC 20011 (tel.
202-726-7100).
POLITICAL
CONDITIONS
Since assuming power, Museveni and his government have largely put an
end to
the human rights abuses of earlier governments, initiated
substantial
economic
liberalization and general press freedom, and instituted economic
reforms in accord with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World
Bank, and
donor
governments.
The vicious and cult-like Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), which seeks
to
overthrow the Ugandan
Government, has murdered and kidnapped civilians in the
north and east
since 1986. Although the LRA does not threaten the stability
of
the government, LRA violence at one time displaced up to 1.7
million
people, creating a humanitarian
catastrophe, particularly when they were
forced into internally displaced persons (IDP) camps for their
own
protection. The Uganda Peoples Defense Force (UPDF) launched "Operation Iron
Fist" against LRA rebels in northern Uganda in 2002 and conducted
operations
against LRA sanctuaries in southern Sudan with the
permission of the Sudanese
Government. The Sudanese Government had
previously supported the LRA.
There have been significant new developments in this conflict since
January
2006. With the signing of the Sudanese "Comprehensive
Peace Agreement," the
Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) was
created. To protect this fragile
peace from
LRA incursions in southern Sudan, Riek Machar, a GOSS
Vice
President, launched
efforts to broker a peace agreement between
the
Government
of Uganda and the LRA in July 2006. Those talks are ongoing and
represent the first time there has been meaningful progress in ending
this
conflict. As a result, many northern Ugandans are
leaving the IDP camps and
returning to their
villages.
In 1998, Uganda deployed a sizable military force to eastern
Democratic
Republic of the Congo
(D.R.C.), ostensibly to prevent attacks from Ugandan
rebel groups operating there. There were widespread allegations that Ugandan
military and civilian officials were involved in the illegal
exploitation of
D.R.C. natural resources. After much international
pressure, Uganda withdrew
its troops from D.R.C. in June 2003.
Relations with the D.R.C., however,
continue
to be frosty. When the LRA left southern Sudan and relocated
to
eastern Congo in September 2005, Museveni
threatened to enter D.R.C. and go
after the LRA if neither
Congo nor the UN peacekeepers in the region would
take
action. The recent peace talks have taken a lot of steam out of
those
threats, however, and Uganda seems focused on
seeing the talks to
conclusion.
ECONOMY
Uganda's economy has great potential. Endowed with significant
natural
resources, including
ample fertile land, regular rainfall, and
mineral
deposits, it appeared
poised for rapid economic growth and development at
independence. However, chronic political instability and erratic
economic
management produced a record of persistent
economic decline that left Uganda
among the world's poorest and
least-developed
countries.
Since assuming power in early 1986, Museveni's government has taken
important
steps toward economic rehabilitation. The country's
infrastructure--notably
its transportation and communications
systems that were destroyed by war and
neglect--is being rebuilt.
Recognizing the need for increased external
support, Uganda negotiated a policy framework paper with the IMF and
the
World Bank in 1987. It subsequently began
implementing economic policies
designed to
restore price stability and sustainable balance of
payments,
improve capacity utilization,
rehabilitate infrastructure, restore producer
incentives
through proper price policies, and improve resource mobilization
and allocation in the public sector. These policies produced
positive
results.
Inflation, which ran at 240% in 1987 and 42% in June 1992, was 5.4%
for fiscal year 1995-96 and 5.1% in
2003.
Investment as a percentage of GDP was estimated at 20.3% in 2003
compared to
13.7% in 1999. Private sector investment, largely
financed by private
transfers from abroad, was 14.9% of GDP in 2002. Gross national savings as a
percentage of GDP was estimated at 6.4% in 2003. The Ugandan
Government has
also worked with donor countries to reschedule
or cancel substantial portions
of the country's external
debts.
Agricultural products supply nearly all of Uganda's foreign
exchange
earnings,
with coffee (of which Uganda is Africa's leading
producer)
accounting
for about 19% and fish 17% of the country's exports in
2002.
Exports of non-traditional
products, including apparel, hides,
skins,
vanilla, vegetables,
fruits, cut flowers, and fish are growing,
while
traditional exports
cotton, tea, and tobacco continue to be
mainstays.
Most industry is related to agriculture. The industrial sector is
being
rehabilitated to resume
production of building and construction materials,
such
as cement, reinforcing rods, corrugated roofing sheets, and
paint.
Domestically produced consumer
goods include plastics, soap, cork, beer, and
soft
drinks.
Uganda has about 30,000 kilometers (18,750 mi.), of roads; some
2,800
kilometers (1,750
mi.) are paved. Most radiate from Kampala. The country has
about
1,350 kilometers (800 mi.) of rail lines. A railroad originating
at
Mombasa on the Indian Ocean connects with
Tororo, where it branches westward
to Jinja, Kampala, and Kasese and
northward to Mbale, Soroti, Lira, Gulu, and
Kapwach, though the routes
west of Kampala and north of Mbale currently are
not in use.
Uganda's important road and rail links to Mombasa serve
its
transport needs and also those of
its neighbors-Rwanda, Burundi, and parts of
Congo and Sudan. An
international airport is at Entebbe on the shore of Lake
Victoria,
some 32 kilometers (20 mi.) south of
Kampala.
FOREIGN
RELATIONS
The Ugandan Government generally seeks good relations with other
nations
without reference to ideological
orientation. Relations with Rwanda, Congo
and Sudan have
sometimes been strained because of security
concerns.
President
Museveni has been active in attempts implement a peace agreement
Burundi and has supported peace initiatives in Sudan and
Somalia.
In the past, neighbors were concerned about Uganda's relationship
with Libya,
which had supplied military equipment and bartered fuel to
Uganda. In
addition to its
friendly ties to Western nations, Uganda has maintained ties
with
North Korea. Uganda's has strained relations with Sudan because of past
Sudanese support for the LRA. The LRA seeks to overthrow the
Uganda
Government and has inflicted brutal violence on the population in
northern
Uganda, including rape, kidnapping, torture, and
murder. In 2002 Uganda and
Sudan reestablished diplomatic ties
and signed a protocol permitting the UPDF
to enter southern Sudan and
engage the LRA. The protocol must be renewed
periodically.
Another rebel group operating in western Uganda and eastern
Democratic
Republic of the Congo,
near the Rwenzori Mountains, the Allied Democratic
Forces (ADF), emerged as a localized threat in 1996 and inflicted
substantial
suffering on the population in the area. It has largely
been defeated by the
UPDF and the affected areas of western Uganda
have been secured. Remnants of
the ADF remain in eastern
Congo.
DEFENSE
The Uganda Peoples Defense Force (UPDF)--previously the National
Resistance
Army--constitutes the armed forces of Uganda. Prior
to 2000, U.S. military
forces participated with the UPDF
in training activities under the African
Crisis Response
Initiative. U.S. military assistance was terminated in 2000
as
a result of the Ugandan incursion into the D.R.C. Following the June 2003
UPDF withdrawal of troops from the D.R.C., the U.S. restarted
limited
nonlethal military
assistance.
U.S.-UGANDAN
RELATIONS
Although U.S.-Ugandan relations were strained during the rule of Idi
Amin in
the 1970s, relations improved after Amin's fall. In mid-1979,
the United
States reopened its embassy in
Kampala. Relations with successor governments
were cordial, although
Obote and his administration rejected strong U.S.
criticism of Uganda's human rights
situation.
Bilateral relations between the United States and Uganda have been
good since
Museveni assumed power, and the United States has welcomed
his efforts to end
human rights abuses and to pursue economic reform.
Uganda is a strong
supporter of the global war against terrorism. The United States is
helping
Uganda achieve export-led economic growth through the
African Growth and
Opportunity Act and
provides a significant amount of development assistance.
At the same
time, the United States is concerned about continuing
human
rights problems and the pace of
progress toward the establishment of genuine
political
pluralism.
U.S. development assistance in Uganda has the overall goal of
reducing mass
poverty. Most U.S. program assistance is focused
in the areas of health,
education and
agriculture. Both the U.S. Agency for International Development
(USAID) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have major programs
to
fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Other
programs promote trade and investment,
curb
environmental degradation, encourage the peaceful resolution of
local
and international conflicts, and promote honest and
open government. The
United States also
provides large amounts of humanitarian assistance
to
populations without access to
adequate food supplies because of conflict,
drought
and other
factors.
U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers are active in primary teacher training
and HIV/
AIDS programs. The Department of State carries out
cultural exchange
programs, brings Fulbright lecturers and researchers to Uganda, and sponsors
U.S. study and tour programs for a wide variety of officials from
government,
non-governmental organizations and the private sector.
Through Ambassador's
Self-Help Fund, local groups in poor areas
receive assistance for small
projects
with a high level of community
involvement.
U.S.-Ugandan relations also benefit from significant contributions to
health
care, nutrition, education, and park systems from U.S.
missionaries,
non-governmental organizations, private universities, HIV/AIDS
researchers,
and wildlife organizations. Expatriate Ugandans
living in the U.S. also
promote
stronger links between the two
countries.
Principal U.S.
Officials
Ambassador--Steven A.
Browning
Deputy Chief of Mission--Andrew G.
Chritton
Public Affairs Officer--Alyson
Grunder
Director, USAID--Margot
Ellis
The U.S. Embassy in Uganda is at 1577 Ggaba Road, Kampala; tel.
259791/2/3/5;
fax:
259-794.
TRAVEL AND BUSINESS
INFORMATION
The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program advises
Americans
traveling and residing abroad through Consular Information
Sheets, Public
Announcements, and Travel Warnings.
Consular Information Sheets exist for all
countries and include
information on entry and exit requirements, currency
regulations, health conditions, safety and security, crime,
political
disturbances, and
the addresses of the U.S. embassies and consulates abroad.
Public
Announcements are issued to disseminate information quickly
about
terrorist threats and other relatively
short-term conditions overseas that
pose significant
risks to the security of American travelers. Travel Warnings
are
issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel
to a certain country because the situation is dangerous or
unstable.
For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling
abroad
should regularly monitor the Department's Bureau
of Consular Affairs Internet
web site at
http://www.travel.state.gov, where the
current Worldwide Caution,
Public Announcements, and Travel Warnings
can be found. Consular Affairs
Publications,
which contain information on obtaining passports and planning a
safe
trip abroad, are also available at
http://www.travel.state.gov.
For
additional information on international
travel, see
http://www.usa.gov/
Citizen/Topics/Travel/International.shtml.
The Department of State encourages all U.S citizens who traveling or
residing
abroad to register via the State Department's travel
registration website or
at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate
abroad. Registration will make your
presence and whereabouts known in
case it is necessary to contact you in an
emergency and will
enable you to receive up-to-date information on security
conditions.
Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be
obtained
by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and
Canada or the regular
toll line 1-202-501-4444 for
callers outside the U.S. and
Canada.
The National Passport Information Center (NPIC) is the U.S.
Department of
State's single, centralized public
contact center for U.S.
passport
information. Telephone: 1-877-4USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778). Customer
service
representatives and operators for TDD/TTY
are available Monday-Friday, 7:00
a.m. to 12:00 midnight,
Eastern Time, excluding federal
holidays.
Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S.
Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia.
A hotline at 877-FYI-TRIP
(877-394-8747) and a web site at
http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm
give the
most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations
or requirements,
and advice on food and drinking water safety for
regions and countries. A
booklet entitled "Health
Information for International Travel"
(HHS
publication number CDC-95-8280) is available from the U.S.
Government
Printing Office,
Washington, DC 20402, tel. (202)
512-1800.
Further Electronic
Information
Department of State Web Site. Available on the Internet at
http://
www.state.gov, the Department of State web
site provides timely, global
access to
official U.S. foreign policy information, including
Background
Notes and daily press briefings
along with the directory of key officers of
Foreign Service
posts and more. The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC)
provides
security information and regional news that impact U.S. companies
working abroad through its website
http://www.osac.gov
Export.gov provides a portal to all export-related assistance and
market
information offered by the federal
government and provides trade leads, free
export counseling, help
with the export process, and
more.
STAT-USA/Internet, a service of the U.S. Department of Commerce,
provides
authoritative economic, business, and
international trade information from
the Federal
government. The site includes current and
historical
trade-related releases, international market research, trade
opportunities,
and country analysis and provides access to the
National Trade Data Bank.
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Uganda
