Book Review: Displacing Human Rights: War and Intervention in Northern Uganda

Abstract

Adam Branch, Displacing Human Rights: War and Intervention in Northern Uganda, New York, Oxford University Press, 336 pages, 78-0-19-978208-6, 2011, Price: £45.00 Having undergone extensive empirical research and personal participation particularly in the field of human rights activism- Adam Branch has woven a masterpiece - the ironical Human Rights intervention that has been played out in Uganda during its twenty years long civil war. This book is not only invaluable in its contribution to knowledge building on the concept of intervention and its misuse; it is a shocking eye opener that effectively reveals the motive behind the haloed noble institutions of humanitarianism. This book is unique because it is extended case studies of Uganda, where the author became part of the action.Branch effectively manages to uncover the duplicity and complicity of the various humanitarian agencies, donors, human rights activists, World Bank, ICC, International NGOs and AFRICOM- in exacerbating anti- civilian violence, prolonging war and emboldening the Ugandan government in its refusal to be accountable to the Acholi in the name of its anti- insurgency measures. 'From relief aid to development to peace building to international law enforcement'- all ostensible humanitarian endeavours, according to Branch, just went on to complicate and increase the sufferings of those they claimed to ameliorate. The despair felt by the Acholis was suitably expressed in the statement quoted by Branch- 'despite the hundreds of millions of dollars spent by aid agencies and donors in the conflict zone; despite their increasing involvement in economic, social and cultural life; and despite their incessant declarations that they are promoting peace and human rights, nothing changes'.In a structured manner, Branch begins with the refutation of the myth of 'internally displaced people' perpetuated by the Ugandan government which was actually responsible for launching military terror to round up and place the Acholis in prison camps for the purpose of concentrated and easy surveillance to crush any dissent to its arbitrary and authoritarian political control. He highlights the fact that it was this forcible displacement that created the humanitarian crises and not the other way round as portrayed by the interventionists.Enchasing on a meticulously developed portrayal of Africa as 'one large terrain of afflicted humanity, as a continent of mere humans without meaningful social or political life'; the western powers exhort people to empathize with the cause of suffering humanity and thus allocate upon themselves the noble task of alleviating their suffering. This image of Africa according to Branch entails a basic inequality where it relegates its populace to a category of humans incapable of managing their own affairs or solving their own problems- as though suffering from gross intellectual deficit. At the same time, it arrogates upon the interventionists a persona of highly developed social, political and economic global powers who are responsible redeemers.Abusing the moral high ground of human rights, these interventions have been grossly detrimental to peace, human rights and justice- nullifying the attempts of the Acholi people to carve out any peaceful solution by themselves- this was done by 'undermining popular political agency by repressing autonomous communication, organization and action which are the substance of civil and political rights and provide the foundation for democracy'. Branch highlights the politicizing of relief aid distribution that connived to negatively brand those who refused the aid- denying any rights of freedom of individual expression- acting as a tool of disciplining and subjugationHe then moves on to provide a detailed historical account of politics behind the northern Ugandan conflict, beginning from the colonial times up to the presenttracing the internal and national political crises of the Acholi and the virulent turn it has taken after the commencement of their internment by the Ugandan government in the name of anti- insurgency measures that acquired ready support from the west that chose to portray Ugandan government as benevolent and in need of humanitarian support. …