Gulu, Uganda


Gulu is a city in Northern Uganda. It is the commercial and administrative centre of Gulu District. The city is located at 2˚46'48N 32˚18'00E, on the metre gauge railway from Tororo to Pakwach. Gulu is located approximately 200 miles (320 km), by road, north of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city.[1] The town is served by Gulu Airport.
During British colonial rule in the 18th and 19th centuries, northern Uganda was deprived of development. The people were conscripted into the army and policing as a source for the security.[2] Many were sent to fight in World War I and World War II.
Uganda gained independence in 1962, but this did not improve the situation for the people in the north. The local people have always been targeted, from the rule of Idi Amin to that of Yoweri Museveni. In 1986 attacks against civilians were initiated by the Museveni government force called the National Resistance Army, now known as Uganda People's Defence Force.
As Museveni's force continued to commit atrocities against civilians, several rebel groups were formed by the end of 1986. However, these rebel groups were ex soldiers, i.e., the UNLA from the government prior to Museveni. By 1987 most of these rebels had joined Museveni's force. Then came another rebel group led by Alice Lakwena from 1988 to 1989. The Lord's Resistance Army sprang up in the 1990s after Alice Lakwena left Uganda and went to Kenya. The LRA became increasing violent in Gulu and the surrounding communities.[3] The UPDF government army has equally been accused of brutality against the civilian population.
In 1996 the Ugandan government ordered all civilians to relocate to internally displaced person (IDP) camps. Several campaigns, such as Stop the Genocide in Northern Uganda StGiNU, demanded the immediate closure of the "concentration camps" in the north of the country. Since the spring of 2007, there has been relative peace due to international pressure calling for the Ugandan government to stop the war and to reach a peace agreement with the LRA leader Joseph Kony. Furthermore, the power of the Lord's Resistance Army to terrorize and intimidate has dramatically been reduced due to a gradual whittling away of their power. The LRA became a much less significant threat, killing 39 in 2012, and being hunted by a 2500 strong force. [4]
In 2012 the American and Ugandan Red Cross started a plan to accurately map the city in Open Street Map. The map was created using crowd-sourced mapping traced on satellite images donated by the US government, which were then tagged (street names, businesses and facilities names added) by local volunteers. The aim of the project was to improve disaster management. [5]
Location: Sydney NSW, Australia

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