17 July 2002
'The government doesn't want us to go home, the rebels want us to go home, the people are confused'
Bukenya, the minister in charge of the Presidency was in Acholiland on the directive of President Yoweri Museveni to assess the emerging situation and advise on possible ways of bringing the 16-year old conflict to an end. The New Vision's Okello Jabweli travelled with the minister and now reports.
Bukenya's visit comes against a background of renewed and more daring attacks by the rebels on civilian targets, camps and military detachments.
In one month since crossing from Sudan, the rebels, led by Vincent Otti, have killed over 50 people including 30 UPDF soldiers, abducted scores of people and looted property.
The bandits have left general despondency, trauma and fear in their wake. Against this backdrop, Bukenya visited Alero, Anaka and Purongo displaced persons camps in Gulu last week.
The people of Alero and Purongo are still reeling from recent attacks, which left many of them displaced and destitute.
Throughout the stops, Bukenya said he was in Acholiland to listen to the people on how the war could be ended. The people responded with sincere narratives about their plight and proposals for bringing peace to the region.
In all three places the rallying cry of the people was the same: "We want peace. We are tired of war. We don't want to live in these camps any more. We want to go home."
The camps, comprising round grass-thatched huts were instituted around 1996 as "safe havens" for the people against marauding rebels in the countryside. While some civilians went to the camps on their own, others were forced there by the army. But as Kony intensified his raids on the camps, looting, abducting and killing people, the camps increasingly came under a spotlight, with some people demanding that they be allowed to go home.
The Acholi have been living in terror and fear for much of the last 16 years. Everywhere you go all that meets you are war-weary people who are unsure of their very existence.
At Anaka, a woman who only identified herself as Auma said women are suffering more than the men: "We are like polygamous men. When we are here we are with the UPDF, when we run to the bush we find the rebels," Auma said in reference to allegations that UPDF mobile troops rape women.
"The war in Arua ended. Who will end ours? Is it people from outside? Soldiers are just doing business here. When rebels come there are nowhere to be seen," she told Bukenya. Odong Bwoch Okello agreed, saying whenever the rebels strike soldiers simply run away. Auma said Col. (Samuel) Wasswa and Lt. Col. (Walter) Ochora (Gulu LC5 chairman) were peace-makers who brought out some rebels from the bush: "Why did they take Col. Wasswa away? These people who say 'defeat them' are the ones escalating the conflict," she charged. Auma ended her contribution with a funeral song.
At Purongo, Bukenya met Walter Okello, a seven-year old orphaned boy who was abducted June 29 by the rebels together with his 60-year old grandmother Biturina Atto.
According to Mark Okot, the LC3 chairman, Okello was later abandoned at Got ngur where he spent five-days and nights on bare grass, feeding on mud. When he was finally rescued, Okello was simply gaping. He could hardly utter a word. Now, back at the same camp from where he was abducted, Okello is showing signs of recovery even though his pink-ish complexion and the look in his brown innocent eyes suggest that it could take a while before he resumes his "normal life."
Okello's case simply mirrors the plight of thousands of Acholi men, women and children who continue to suffer ignominy at the hands of heartless vagabonds.
The desperation is running deep. William Okot called for the intervention of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now transformed to the African Union, to end the war.
Unsure of the safety of the camps and unable to return to their homes, most people now flock to town centres by evening and then trek back to the camps in the morning.
The minister was accompanied on his tour by State minister for Sports Henry Okello Oryem, MPs; Zachary Olum (Nwoya), Jacob Oulanya (Omoro), Jane Akwero Odwong (Kitgum Women) and Norbert Mao (Gulu Municipality). Others on the team included the fourth division commander Col. Guti, Gulu LC5 chairman Lt. Col. Walter Ochora, Adjumani RDC Ahmed Awongo, his Gulu counterpart Max Omeda and Semei Okwir. The Gulu Deputy RDC Awongo accompanied the minister in his capacity as dean of northern RDCs and also chairman of the security committee for the region.
A huge camp to cater for the internally displaced people (IDPs) from the west of Gulu has been created behind Lacor hospital. Other IDPs from outlying areas are camping at the bus park and Owino market area. A huge humanitarian crisis is looming now that relief agencies fear to take food to the camps. At Alero, where the rebels burnt over 1,000 huts, the New Vision saw women preparing to cook burnt remains of their millet and sorghum grain.
The rebels also abducted scores of people and looted dry a nearby health centre. At the time of our visit, health centres, schools and other services in the sub-county were closed. The chairman Alero sub-county told Bukenya that most teachers fled to Gulu town.
But despite the suffering, the tenacity of the Acholi remains. At Alero, Anaka and Purongo people expressed the hope that the war can be brought to an end if only the government and rebels engage in serious dialogue.
Okony Simon Opiro said the Acholi people are in dilemma. "The government doesn't want us to go home, the rebels want us to go home; The people are confused," Opiro said. The politics of the camps is very intriguing. While the government fears that the civilian population in the countryside would be susceptible to attacks from, and also possibly collaborate with the rebels; the people think such a move would help steer clear of the confrontation between the UPDF and rebels. At the moment, UPDF detachments are situated at the camps to protect the people.
"We are on the brink of death. The president should lower his level because this idea of inquiring about our opinions is simply wastage of time. He should just agree to talks (with the rebels)," Opiro said.
Even with all the displacement and suffering already inflicted on the people, the rebels are still breathing fire. A July 5 letter circulated through LCs, Vincent Otti, the LRA Commander leading the current raids warned people to flee from camps or risk their (rebels) wrath.
The letter hand written in Luo warned that the rebels would slaughter 250 people, with knives and shoot 250 others to show their seriousness.
"The army is incapable of defending you. If you think the UPDF is strong? Ask them what happened to them in the Sudan." Religious and political leaders in Gulu told the New Vision that the LRA letter was authentic as it came through the same channels an earlier one Otti wrote announcing the release of 108 women and children.
Throughout his sojourn Bukenya called for ideas and proposals on how to end the war. "We must stop this war: The Acholi culture is under threat. Why should we destroy the rich culture of Uganda? The Acholi people should say enough is enough," he urged.
He said while government would continue with its mandate of (militarily) protecting its people, the President is not opposed to peace talks with rebels provided the rebels stop killing people and burning huts: "The medium for these talks could be religious and cultural leaders. Let us explore this (idea of talks) sincerely," he said. The minister promised that government would beef up security for the camps and appealed to the people to stay in the camps as government continues its drive against the rebels. He appealed to Kony informers within his audience to relay to him one message: "Stop killing people and burning their huts."
On the immediate needs of the people, Bukenya promised to ensure that relief supplies including food and medicine resume. At Alero, Anaka and Purongo, the minister said the convoys would resume almost immediately. However owing, to the prevailing situation most aid agencies are yet to resume full operations for fear of rebel ambushes and abductions.
In the meantime the Gulu district administration and the military have reduced the number of camps, from 32 to 21 in order to concentrate the UPDF presence in them. Semei Okwir, deputy RDC, says with a reduced number of camps the UPDF will now be able to deploy more troops to better protect the people.
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