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Uganda -- Refugees


Since independence, Uganda has displaced and received large numbers of refugees. By 1963, Uganda already had over 100,000 refugees from Congo, Rwanda, and Sudan. The number of Sudanese refugees continued to grow and in 1972 over 75,000 had been registered but in reality the figure was much higher, probably around 100,000.

Idi Amin's regime produced thousands of refugees. Many fled to Kenya and Tanzania and in 1972 the expulsions of Asian peoples also made them refugees. In 1977, the Acholi were singled out by Amin and many fled Uganda. In 1980, over 130,000 Ugandans sought refuge in Sudan and Haute-Zaire in order to escape the Uganda National Liberation Army. The early 1980s saw several mass displacements. In 1982-1983 over 200,000 Ugandans were in camps in the Sudan.

Since 1986, when the NRM came to power, Ugandan refugees have begun to return to their homes. However, continued insurgency in the North continues to produce refugees, especially among the Acholi and Teso. People seeking asylum continue to leave Uganda, but the numbers have dwindled dramatically.

In 1990, over 4,000 Rwandan refugees in Uganda, calling themselves the Rwandan Patriotic Front, invaded Rwanda with help from Museveni and the NRM.

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