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Uganda

Country profile

Uganda's post-colonial history has been marred by civil wars, military coups and economic destruction.

The years of Idi Amin and civil wars left a country almost totally destroyed by 1986, physically in ruins and torn apart by ethnic strife, when the current president seized power.

Since then, Uganda's image in the West has been that of a country largely at peace, which has enjoyed a "miracle" recovery of economic growth, with a vibrant and growing civil society and democratic structures.

Official figures show that poverty almost halved in the last decade, and Uganda's macroeconomic stability ensured it was the first country to benefit from debt relief under the HIPC initiative. Uganda's successes in the war against AIDS are equally celebrated.

However, absolute poverty is deeply entrenched in Uganda, particularly in the north and northeast of the country, even though Uganda is a fertile country with good rains and enough land for all.