HOPE TO WAR VICTIMS
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS FOR RESETTLEMENT OF RETURNEES IN ACHOLILAND – NORTHERN UGANDA
Prepared by JOSEPH ONYANGO, Director
Dated: June 6, 2013
Introduction
The announcement that a new government had taken power in Uganda in January 1986 was generally received with jubilation, but north of Lake Kyoga there were mixed reactions. This was the first time, since the country go
t Independence from Great Britain in 1962, that principal leadership was hailing from the south of the country. Apollo Milton Obote, Idi Amin Dada and Tito Lutwa Okello were from northern Uganda, and now Yoweri Museveni, taking power on 26th January 1986, was from the south. Some few skeptics from the north of the country were not quick to embrace the Museveni administration. They therefore listened to and joined a woman who pronounced her intention to resist or even defeat the National Resistance Movement government. Alice Lakwena claimed mysterious powers and spiritual blessings to the extent of promising her followers immunity from enemy (government) bullets. Her following soon grew, and by the end of 1986 there was a significant number of loyal recruits subscribing to her Holy Spirit Movement. Little was it clear at the time that that was the beginning of a long civil conflict that would see many people killed, men conscripted, women r***d and children abducted among other atrocities. When the Lakwena insurgency was defeated by Museveni’s National Resistance Army in late 1988, one of the Holy Spirit Movement diehards Joseph Kony started his own rebel group which he named The Lord’s Resistance Army or LRA. It is this rebel group that has wrecked havoc in several parts of Northern Uganda, but most especially Acholiland comprising basically of present Agago, Amuru, Kitgum, Lamwo, Nwoya and Pader districts. The Lords Resistance Army (LRA) Activities
The LRA are known the world over for their most heinous acts to the civilians. They are known to have murdered people, r***d women, abducted children, conscripted men and children into rebel activities, captured young girls to act as s*x slaves, cut off people’s lips, ears, noses and ordered children to murder their own parents or relatives, using such methods as shooting and slaughtering. They are also known to have forced relatives to have s*x with relatives, for example son and mother, daughter and father, and so on, many times it was done in public for all to see. There were also several amputations due to placement of land-mines, burning down of houses and looting of food, property including household items and utensils. It was a common practice to ambush government, civilian or other vehicles. Even cyclists and pedestrians were often targeted and there were occasional bombing of crowded areas such as markets and social gatherings. Effects of LRA Activities
The LRA has led to the displacement of over 1.5 million people. Village raids wrecking havoc and uncertainty. Systematic destruction of cultural settings, emotional, social and economic destruction in the region. Unabated killings, maimings and crippling among the residents, including decapitation, severing of lips, ears, noses and fixing padlocks on victims’ lips. The LRA used this as terror tactics among the population whom they accused of collaborating with the government troops. Creation of a generation of child mothers taken as s*x slaves and victims of war. Traumatisation caused by performance of gruesome killings, r**e, torture and all sorts of and physical assaults carried out in public
Forced killings. Looting of food, property and other household moves. There have been over 30,000 child abductees, many of whom were forced to become child soldiers. There have been over 1.5 Internally displaced people in northern Uganda, particularly in Acholiland. The UPDF resolved to support militias to fight the LRA, for example the Teso Arrow Boys and Karamojong warriors. The presence of the LRA led to the creation of Acholi Elders Peace Initiative to try and forge forth a peace deal. After 2002, the Acholi Elders Peace Initiative broke apart due to the government’s launch of a military offensive called Operation Iron Fist, intended to “wipe out completely” the LRA. Breakdown of infrastructure e.g. roads, health centres, schools, water sources. Breakdown of labour force. Creation of Internally Displaced People’s (IDP) camps. Birth of a fatherless generation of children and youngsters, widows and orphans. A spate of AIDS and HIVrelated complications. Attacks on government military facilities e.g. the October 9th (Independence anniversary) 2003 rebel attack on a government military camp near Soroti. Destabilisation ofschools and schoolgoing children including mass abductions, most notable of which was the abduction of 139 girls from St Mary’s Aboke Girls School in Apac District on 10th October 1996
Cross-border insurgency especially into (South) Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
Distabilisation of communities in DRC, Central African Republic and (South) Sudan
Breakdown of international diplomatic relations with Sudan on charges that Sudan was aiding LRA rebels. (The Government of Sudan is said to have invited the LRA in 1994 to set up its military and/or logistics bases on Sudanese territory so as to pivot Sudan’s military activities against the then Sudanese Peoples Liberation Army SPLA)
The African Union launched a UN-backed Regional Cooperation Initiative against the LRA (RCI-LRA) and its military component, the Regional Task Force (RTF) in March 2012. ( It comprises troops drawn from the four nations directly affected by the LRA, i.e. Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), South Sudan and the Central African Republic. The USA labeled the LRA a terrorist group and is presently treated as such. Relative Peace
No ceasefire has proved effective between the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) and the rebels – not even the infamous agreement signed between the two parties in Juba on 26th February 2008. Since the late 2000’s, however, the LRA have been getting weakened remarkably. They have crossed borders into Sudan, DR Congo and Central African Republic killing, maiming, ra**ng, wrecking havoc and creating alarm and despair among the population and since the African Union launched a UN-backed Regional Cooperation Initiative against the LRA (RCI-LRA) and its military component, the Regional Task Force (RTF) in March 2012, there has been relative peace not only in Uganda but the entire region at large. It is reported that since 2009 to early 2013, the LRA have been operating at least periodically in the Kafia-Kingi Enclave – an area disputed by Sudan and South Sudan but currently controlled by Sudan. Indeed they could be getting aid from The Government of Sudan, something that reportedly started way back in 1994. The foregoing facts boil down to a situation of relative peace in Northern Uganda. The Acholi Communities, particularly in the districts of Agago, Amuru, Gulu, Kitgum, Lamwo, Nwoya and Pader, have started on a slow but sure and voluntary resettlement process involving return to their pre-conflict areas, reconstruction, reconciliation and at times justice – the most difficult component. Economic empowerment is now a key factor, together with women emancipation. In the districts of Kitgum and Pader, however, government and other stake holders are yet to announce a full-fledged resettlement program given that there was a serious breakdown of infrastructure such as schools, roads and water sources. These need to be worked upon before voluntary resettlement can be blessed wholeheartedly. Hope To war Victims
Hope after Conflict is a Ugandan registered charity organization formed specifically to cater for communities trying to resettle after a conflict or conflicts of whatever sort. Our Mission: To put in place programs that help victims of conflict attain the best possible life including recovery of economic life, education for the youths, socioeconomic stability as well as recovery from wartime trauma, plus creation of equal opportunity for all including youths and women. Our intervention is at present geared towards working in northern Uganda, particularly Acholiland. We may expand to other regions with time. HOPACON intends to make an impact in the resettlement and rehabilitation of conflict-victims and create an atmosphere that is conducive for reconciliation among them at individual, family, clan or any other level. We respect community culture and norms very much and as much as possible we work for an enabling atmosphere to let such culture sort out conflict-related irregularities including reconciliation and counseling. Of particular interest to HOPACON are the vulnerable groups of people including children, the disabled and women. H W.V has created a bursary scheme that is catering for child-vocational learners from Acholiland. They are getting training in various skills at Crown Business and Technical Institute, Ndejje in Wakiso District. Bearing in mind Uganda’s IDP Policy, H.W.V is putting in place measures that will enable the following to take root:
• Putting in place a reliable information source of sources specifically for returnees, to provide accurate and reassuring communication that will contribute to creating an environment conducive for voluntary return and settlement.
• Creation of transitional sites for returnees.
• Rehabilitation and counseling of individuals.
• Provision of emergency aid e.g. food, medicines
• Facilitate - without engaging in - the solving or settlement of land disputes including providing a standby lawyer/lawyers to provide legal aid where necessary.
• Create a forum for the location and reunification of returnees.
• Contribute to the reconstruction of basic infrastructure such as schools, roads, water sources.
• Provision of starter-kits to returnees which may include tents, hoes, clothing, blankets, seeds and utensils.
• Organize child-mothers for possible re-enrolment in schools or group economic activities.
• Create a home for unwanted children, particularly those fathered by rebels and other rapists.
• Integration of Formerly Abducted Persons (FAPs) and creation of opportunities that would aid their self-sustenance. Attached herewith is an account from our own staff, himself a Formerly Abducted Person (FAP). We call upon all stake holders to work with us for the good of our people. Thank you. SUFFERING IN ACHOLILAND:
A FORMERLY ABDUCTED PERSON’s ACCOUNT
My father used to have two wives in 1984, of which the first was my mother. In 1985 my father was appointed to be a pastor. He started to chase away his first wife, who was my mother. This was when I was two years old and she was forced to go while leaving me behind, so when she left my stepmother took care of me and I happened to stay unaware of the fact that my stepmother was not my real mother. Though the situation was rough, I kept questioning myself if really this was my real mother and I could not get any answer for myself. When I stayed with my parents for 15 years I started hearing some rumours that my real mother is close but whenever I asked my father about her he would get really upset that is why I couldn´t ask him anymore and I just continued persevere with the hard situation. Unfortunately in 1999 the Lords Resistance Army abducted me by the age of 15. This happened on a Friday and after I was abducted with seven of my friends we spent the night in the bush. During that night the rebels slaughtered five of us and only two of us were allowed to continue with the rebels. Then in 2001 we were all in Sudan and from there I managed to be taken and stayed in the home of the rebel commander Joseph Kony and in 2002 they took me to school and I was allowed to study in Sudan for the next three years. From there I heard that some of my relatives were killed by the LRA. Then in 2004 they gave me one of the hardest task to do, which was cutting of one hundred heads, and two sacks of women´s breasts and all this was supposed to be done in only 7 days. The task was so hard that I could not fulfil it. Because I was scared of the consequences of my failure I still managed this terrible and crucial task. But my Daily prayer was to come back and start living my normal life. In that same year of 2004 they took me and other child soldiers back to Barloonyo and we were forced again to kill the people from our homes. And from there about 370 people lost their lives and numbers of houses were burnt and young kids of 7 years and younger were cut into pieces and adults were pushed in houses and burnt as well. Many government soldiers were defeated, tortured and killed and all the farm animals were massacred. The area was left with no hope whatsoever of any human being seen around. The following day, we went to Katakwi to a place called Balanga and there we killed 120 people and a great number of government soldiers and I was forced to carry two rotten bodies in a sack. This was a particular punishment because I had misplaced my gun. After that I was forced to carry two rotten head tied on my neck. This year was a terrible year of atrocities and personal difficulties. In this same year we went to my former home and they happened to abduct 20 people of my home village and they forced me to slaughter them by myself. This was the most difficult thing for me to be done by myself and I started crying. They immediately forced me to sit down and held a gun at my head to kill me. That was the moment when Iforced myself to slaughter all these people as they had instructed me to do. All these happenings were stuck in my mind, after they had forced me to carry rotten body parts, I couldn´t neither sleep nor eat or talk without feeling terrible afterward and terrible nightmares shocked me every night, all these memories terribly affected me mentally and physically. One day we went again to a certain place called Lira Parto and there 7 kids were pushed in a sack and pound like maize until they died. All these cruelties made my life were painful and I suffered from terrible worries and as if that was not enough, one day they brought 15 women and they were all tied on the ground with dried grass and then the rebels burnt them and forced us to watch them die. During that horrible crime, the women were crying and begged God for help. They also forced an old grandmother to have s*x with one of her grandchildren that was only 14 years old and they forced them to enjoy it publically. Since they were forced by the evil spirit they again happened to cut off 20 peoples mouth, ears and noses and this was commanded by the spirit in Kony. Later that evening after this event, the spirit commanded Kony to make 5 people eaten alive by their fellow friends and we were the ones who were forced to eat all those people, leaving only the bones standing. In addition to that we were forced to carry people’s goats, cattle, birds (such as ducks and chicken) and many other animals and yet all these actions felt like violating the will of God. And again when we were going across to Sudan, we met some soldiers and we fought and many of us were killed, but we ended the battle by defeating them and of one hundred thousand soldiers patrolling
alongside of the border we managed to pass through without too much of a problem. About two hundred thousand people alongside the border of Uganda and Sudan were either killed or taken away from their homes to live in Internal Displacement Camps. And during the same period; many people were arrested especially the young abducted men and women where by these men were taken to be trained to become good soldiers in the future, where as the young women captured were given to other men, or even sold to them, which was also terrible insulting in front of God. Joseph Onyango
Executive Director
Hope to war victims - H.W.V
