Politics!

I don't care for politics normally and here I abhor it! While driving here yesterday we heard on the local news that President Museveni was announcing to the world that things are now all better in northern Uganda and that he was now sending troops to the north to assist people in returning to their former homes/land as the IDP (internally displaced people) camps are no longer necessary. This is all posturing and an attempt to look like all is well in a country embroiled by civil unrest for 20 years now. He has kept this nasty little secret for long enough, and hopefully the U.N. representatives will not be easily fooled by these empty words.

Unfortunately, this has caused much panic and distress in the camps, as the people fear the forced move back to places where rebel attacks are still likely. They are once again filled with hopelessness and mistrust, fearing that they are all alone in this nightmare. We did not take our mobile medical clinic today to any of the camps as we had hoped (we are so ready to start working), as yesterday, Felix (the director of NWMT Uganda) had to visit 4 of the camps to try and calm their fears. Felix thought that we should wait until Monday so that things can quiet down again. So, here we sit, trying to pass the time, frustrated at a government that is trying to sweep just under 2 million people under the rug as if they do not matter or exist. We continue to see U.N. vehicles on the streets so we are hopeful that there will be continued pressure on the government to try and do something about the source of the problem, Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army. Instead of just pretending that there is nothing wrong.

There is plenty of suffering and need by the people of the north! Brenda