Socio-Political Challenges

This is the region which, from the rise to the fall of President Idi Amin and long after his fall, experienced a long period of turmoil and social unrest. The political instability that ensued in the neighbouring Congo and the Southern Sudan made matters even worse.  The following terms best describe the times the region come through in this period:

• 1971 to 1979—the years of Fear – during the Idi Amin regime many prominent men and women were brutally killed and the region was subjected to a lot of terror.
• 1979 to 1986—the years of War – the liberation and guerrilla wars devastated West Nile as the region was targeted for revenge because of the atrocities of Amin. Most of the people were forced into exile into Congo and the Sudan. There was a state of anarchy in the region as property and many lives were lost.
• 1990 to 1994—the years of Tears – in these four (4) years the Diocese lost 2 Bishops. Bishop Ephraim Adrale died of natural causes in February 1990 while Bishop Caleb Nguma died in a motor accident in June 1994.
• 1994 to 2001—the years of Turbulence – due to political turbulence in the neighbouring countries of Congo and Southern Sudan, several people were forced into Internal Displacement Camps and over 10,000 refugees settled in the region.
• 2001 to 2005—the years of Conflict – there were several hot pots of conflict which stifled the ministry in the Diocese, the most prominent being the one between the Diocesan Leadership and Arua Archdeaconry.
• 2013 to date – the years of hospitality – Currently the Diocese hosts over one million refugees from South Sudan

In addition to these socio-economic challenges came along the HIV Aids pandemic that infected and affected many lives. This resulted into juvenile delinquency with increased moral degeneration, high levels of illiteracy and unemployment; deforestation and environmental degradation that has led to climate change and increasingly poor crop harvests and rampant hunger. The effects of the global economic crisis and consequent high inflation rates have further compounded the situation in the region.