Is Uganda Safe for Travel - Safety & Health

 

Northern Uganda:
After years of conflict, relative stability has returned to northern Uganda with the departure of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgent group in 2006. Recent LRA activity has been restricted to the remote region of Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where LRA insurgents have continued to attack and terrorize civilian populations. LRA attacks have also occurred in the neighboring Central African Republic and southern Sudan.

The Governments of Uganda, the DRC, and southern Sudan initiated joint military operations against LRA bases in Garamba National Park on December 14, 2008, after LRA leader Joseph Kony refused to sign a peace agreement following two years of negotiations. These military operations continue and in order to deter an LRA return to Uganda, the Uganda Peoples Defense Force (UPDF) maintains a significant presence in the northern districts. Given the continued threat to regional security posed by the LRA, American citizens should exercise caution when traveling in those districts of northwestern Uganda that border the DRC and southern Sudan and which could potentially be subject to LRA incursions. The Ugandan Government also continues to expand and improve the capacity of the civilian police force in northern Uganda by deploying additional personnel and concentrating resources to further recovery and re-development activities throughout the north.

Tourists traveling to northern Uganda are advised to ensure that they have made appropriate travel, lodging, and communication arrangements before visiting the region. Hotel bookings and lodging can be made through www.hotelsinuganda.com.

MEDICAL SERVICES

Medical facilities in Uganda are greatly improving day by day most especially in Kampala. However most hospitals are limited and not equipped to handle most emergencies, especially those requiring surgery. Outside Kampala, hospitals are scarce and offer only basic services.