June 23, 2009:
Food crises have a national security dimension throughout the world, but in sub-Saharan Africa this is particularly true. In Uganda, hunger and food shortages in Karamoja tribal regions have led to cattle rustling and looting, and Karamoja raiding parties use automatic weapons. At the moment, parts of West Nile province (northwestern Uganda) and several districts in northeastern Uganda bordering Sudan report severe food shortages. In Karamoja regions (Kenyan border) food shortages are described as "famine level."
June 21, 2009: Recently 134 Ugandan soldiers had graduated from the Counter-Terrorism Course run by the US Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA). CJTF-HOA is headquartered in Djibouti.
June 19, 2009: The former Archbishop of the Church of Uganda has asked that the government of Yoweri Museveni re-start peace negotiations with the Lords Resistance Army. The retired archbishop's request follows a similar appeal by the European Union Council to revive talks with the LRA. The war between the LRA and the government began in 1986. Formal peace talks began in 2006. In spring 2008 the LRA was supposed to sign a final peace agreement but LRA senior commander Joseph Lony reneged on the deal. Kony faces arrest and prosecution by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes.
June 13, 2009: The government confirmed that Uganda has oil reserves of two billion barrels.
June 12, 2009: The Ugandan Army (UPDF) said it had arrested 11 people in the Gulu and Pader districts (northeastern Uganda). The people are charged with "rebel activity." Gullu and Pader are in Acholi tribal country and were key areas of conflict during the long war with the Lords Resistance Army. The army statement said several of the people detained were former LRA fighters and that the detainees were forming a "new rebel group." The new rebel organization has no formal name.