The conflict in question involves the Government of Uganda and the Lord´s Resistance Army (LRA) an armed group with its stronghold in the northern provinces of Pader, Gulu and Kitgum. For 18 years, this conflict has claimed the lives of thousands of civilians. The situation reportedly deteriorated further during 2003. All moves towards a peaceful solution have failed. Meanwhile, massive displacement of the population, arbitrary killings, maimings, abductions and forced recruitment have resulted. In particular, the LRA has been accused of abducting children, at times moving them across the border into Sudan, including scores of girls, for use as sex slaves and combatants. The treatment of children returning, voluntarily or as a consequence of military action, from their abductors has also been the subject of much controversy with allegations having been levelled against the Ugandan security forces of retraining some of them for military purposes in the fight against the LRA.

Accompanied by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, the Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo disclosed that the Court had received a referral, made by the Government of Uganda, concerning the LRA. The text of the referral is not yet public, but it appears that Uganda sought to limit the referral to the crimes committed by the LRA only. However, once the Prosecutor receives a referral by a state party in a situation, the Prosecutor, after analyzing the information, can open a formal investigation without judicial approval and has the right to investigate all crimes committed in that situation, regardless of who committed them. Furthermore, according to Article 12 (2) (b) of the Rome Statute, ICC has jurisdiction over crimes committed by the nationals of states parties, such as Uganda, anywhere in the world. This means that President Museveni´s half brother General Salim Saleh and other Ugandans involved in the human rights abuses taking place in the Democratic Republic of Congo may well be among those who will have to stand trial and face charges for their wrongdoings.  

Many of the independent human rights organisations involved in HRHs attempt to establish a Human Rights House in Uganda´s capital Kampala are also engaged in various attempts to improve the situation for those most heavily affected by the conflict in Northern Uganda.