GLOSSARY

The average elevation of the Republic of Uganda is 1,000 metres above sea level in the Central African Highlands. Its natural borders include Lake Victoria in the south and the Rwenzori Mountains in the south-east. The north, which has been ravaged by the war with the LRA, is bordered by the newly independent Republic of South Sudan. Because of its mild climate all year round and its lush vegetation, Winston Churchill christened Uganda the ‘Pearl of Africa’.

Home to Entebbe International Airport and the capital Kampala, the south experiences high levels of rainfall from March to June and has been popular with tourists for years. The drier north with its regional capital Gulu suffered terribly in the 25-year conflict with the LRA. 90 per cent of the population in the north lived as refugees and are only now gradually returning to their villages.

No peace treaty has ever been signed with rebel leader Joseph Kony. The north-east region of Karamoja experiences frequent droughts, which lead to conflicts with the wandering nomad peoples. The enormous Lake Victoria and Lake Albert on the border of the DRC as well as the Victoria Nile make Uganda one of the countries with the most water in Africa, and it lies at the heart of the Great Lakes Region.

Around 85% of Uganda’s population of 20 million are Christians, 12% are Muslim. Almost all Ugandans combine their religion with traditional African beliefs. President Museveni has ruled the country with an iron fist since 1996 and a further five-year presidential mandate was confirmed in 2011. Leader of the Opposition, Kizza Besigye, has accused the president of election fraud and continues to lead demonstrations against him. Besigye and many of his followers have frequently been imprisoned or chased from the streets of Kampala with brutal police force.

Due to its constant civil conflict, Uganda has been one of the poorest countries in Africa for decades. Two hundred different ethnic groups live in the country. Large oil reserves near Lake Albert and the end of the conflict with the LRA have now led to immense economic growth of over 7%. Uganda, like the rest of East Africa, is becoming a booming economy.