The Minister of State for Northern Uganda Hon. Beatrice Akello Akori has commended the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for projects that will enhance mindset change, continuous rehabilitation and experience sharing in parts of the Country hosting the Refugees.
Hon Akello was officiating at the closure of a Regional Workshop on Refugee and IDP Responses in the Great Lakes and the Horn of African Region Held At Bomah Hotel Ltd Gulu From 17th- 19th August 2026.
Akello noted that displacement in the Horn of Africa and the Greater Lakes Region is becoming increasingly protracted and complex due to conflicts, political Instability and Climate related crises.
‘’The influx of refugees and internal displacement has increasing strain on services and affected the stability of host communities. At the same time, the decline in the humanitarian funding is making responses to provide services more challenging. For example, Uganda hosts approximately 2 million refugees and had maintained an inclusive Refugee policy framework, including the integration of refugees support in National systems. Meanwhile, the country has experienced large scale internal displacements in Northern Uganda due to years of conflict’’, noted Akello.
She said after security conditions improved, many people were able to return and efforts were made to support their sustainable reintegration and recovery and several programs have been initiated to improve Livelihoods.
These include, programs which were donor funded( World Bank Programs, European Union Programs, Danida Programs and others), Government funded( PDM, Grow, Youth Livelihoods to mention a few) and direct funding from partners like JICA, UN Agencies and other NGOs, all these are aimed and are still aiming at improving sustainable recovering in Northern Uganda’’, said Akori.
‘’I want to appreciate JICA, for the various initiatives in Acholi and Northern Uganda since 2009 where your support focused on community development to promote IDP return and resettlement, capacity development of conflict affected Local Governments and Livelihood support, including the vulnerable groups and in the West Nile sub region, since 2016 support were focused on refugee hosting areas, including refugee inclusive development planning, infrastructure development, Livelihood support for self-reliance and natural resource management’’, she added.
At the workshop attended by officials from JICA, OPM, Local Government Staff from (Amuru and Nwoya), Akori added that; ‘’I on behalf of Government and on my own behalf would like to thank you for introducing this project on the Greater Lakes and the Horn of Africa, where the project is implemented through a series of Regional Workshops, involving Eight countries of Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda. These Countries had a history of conflicts where many people were displaced. So sharing experiences of Post War recovery is necessary for these countries and communities at large’’, Akori told participants.
The first workshop focused on ; “ IDP Response for Sustainable return and Refugee Response for Co-existence, where Uganda and other Participating countries have been sharing their experiences and challenges related to these themes.
It is also aimed at Promoting peaceful co-existence in refugees hosting areas through Improvement and Development plan integrating the needs of refugees and Host communities, Livelihood support for self-reliance and Natural resource Management in refuges hosting area
In addition to the themes, participating Countries shared their experiences. These shall provide opportunities for mutual learning, and hence creating a good platform for participating Countries to share experiences, challenges and make sustainable solutions together to promote both peaceful co-existence and sustainable return and resettlement of our displaced people.
‘’I want to pledge my total support on the project and promise that we shall participate in any planned Regional Workshops. These Regional experience sharing initiatives shall promote mutual learning amongst the Countries facing similar challenges’’, Akello noted
She said the themes for the next workshops should be designed to help our communities in post conflict recovery, peaceful co-existence, but also design a project if possible that can enhance Community Livelihoods in order to improve their incomes and cause Socio Economic Transformation.
‘’Through these Regional workshops, participants will have opportunities to consider practical approaches in their own countries’’, Akello further noted.