A Place to Call Home

Uganda is surrounded by nations in conflict. Sudan lies across the border to the north, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is on the west, and Rwanda touches the southernmost corner (with Burundi just beyond). Even Kenya to the east, once considered one of the more stable African countries, recently suffered from convulsions of violence.

For many years, hundreds of thousands of refugees from these surrounding nations have poured into Uganda. The challenges of hosting so many people in crisis are significant. Many other countries would do whatever they could to close their borders and keep refugees out. But not Uganda.

Mr. Musa Francis Ecweru, the Ugandan Minister of State for Relief and Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, joined the Roundtable on our second day of meetings. He was justifiably proud of Uganda's refugee policy.

He explained that Uganda opens its arms in welcome to their neighbors. The government provides land on which refugees can build new homes and integrates refugees into the local community. He held the Ugandan program up as a model to other countries around the world.

I admit that I suspected he might be doing a bit of political posturing. But the African leaders participating in the conference assured me he spoke truth. They sincerely thanked him for providing a place for refugees to call home.