The people of Yumbe district in Uganda are predominantly Muslim (76%) with a large Christian minority (24%). Yumbe and the entirety of the West Nile region was severely affected by both phases of the Ugandan civil war, through from 1979 to 2000, with various armed groups recruiting their combatants from the region. With the official end of the war in 2000, thousands of people who had been displaced to South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo as refugees returned to the district. Their return spawned competition for resources, as well as for religious following, as adherents of the different faiths sought new recruits. Muslim and Christian faith actors began competing for local government jobs and contracts, management of schools, land and water resources, and political positions. Competition and fear led to tensions and hostilities which can spill into violence. This competition was compounded by a large influx of predominantly Christian South Sudanese refugees. They were given land, and accessed humanitarian assistance, which on the whole the host communities did not have access to.
This learning brief highlights the main outcomes and lessons learnt in Uganda from the project ‘Communities Richer in Diversity’, whose aim was to promote cultural diversity and respect for equal dignity of all people through interfaith and intercultural dialogue and cooperation.
Access it here: [pdf-embedder url=”http://localhost/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/CRID-Uganda_Final.pdf” title=”CRID Uganda_Final”]
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