Children born in LRA captivity struggling for national, not considered Ugandan citizens

These children are spread out across the northern Uganda districts of Gulu, Pader, Lamwo, Kitgum, Nwoya, Omoro, Agago and Amuru with their maternal relatives.

Together, they have formed the War Victims and Children Networking (WVCN) with help from Women Advocacy Network (WAN), both community-based rights groups operating in Acholi sub-region. Even with these organisations they say that their efforts to acquire National Identity Cards and birth certificates, individually and as a group, have been futile.

Country laws require that they present medical birth certificates, a citizenship card and information about biological parents and family background. However, considering the conditions and circumstances under which they were born, they do not have these documents and information on their paternal lineages.

For this reason, they are still considered non-citizens and cannot access government services nor pursue personal careers, seek jobs in pubic offices or run for office and travel interests.

One of them (identity withheld) said that a personnel at the National Identification Registration Authority (NIRA) told him to use LRA leader Joseph Kony's details to fill in as his father, something he says greatly tormented him psychologically.

The Ministry of International Affairs, Justice Law and Order Sector (JLOS), office of the Prime Minister (OPM), and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have been petitioned to come to the rescue.

Executive Director of Women Advocacy Network (WAN), Evelyn Amony, said that the denial of identity is causing the children and their mothers great mental distress. Similarly, Director of WVCN, Stella Lanam, has called upon traditional and religious leaders to give the children tribal identities.

The petitioned institutions have come together to design modalities to avail identity cards for the children.

Sarah Nkayimbi, the Programs Manager of the Forum for Justice and Development Initiative (FJDI), said that they are engaging stakeholders to find a smooth transitional justice. While National Advisor for JLOS, Margaret Ajok, said that the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs together with the NIRA administration have agreed to make amendments to this end.