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Uganda Refugee Aid Groups Cry Foul Over Government Suspensions

Halima Athumani

   KAMPALA, UGANDA - Refugee aid groups in Uganda are crying foul after
   the government suspended more than 200 of them, three quarters of the
   total, for non-compliance with rules and permits. A U.N. special
   advisor on gender and displacement welcomed the suspensions as a move
   toward better transparency and regulation. But some activists worry the
   suspensions could impact 1.4 million refugees who reside in Uganda.

   Uganda's minister for Refugees and Disaster Preparedness, in
   mid-August, released a list of 208 organizations said to be operating
   illegally in the country's refugee camps and settlements.

   According to the letter, these groups lack either permits or
   memorandums of understanding required to operate.

   The International Rescue Committee in Uganda was placed under category
   three on the list -- organizations that have valid MOU's but are
   operating with expired permits.

   Elijah Okeyo, country director of the IRC, says the list was wrong.

   "Their system was not cleaned," Okeyo said. "So, even IRC is there, but
   we have a valid permit until 2022. So, we have already corrected our
   information in their system. If they run another report, the result
   will be much more, maybe credible."

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