Cissy Makumbi and Justine Muboka
3 October 2008
The acting prime minister of Acholi Chiefdom, Mr Michael Otim, has said the formerly displaced persons still need external help to recover from the 20year Kony war.
Mr Otim was speaking during a party when the Paramount Chief of Acholi, Mr David Acana Onen, hosted the crown princess of Denmark, Mary Elizabeth Donaldson in Gulu Town on Wednesday.
"Our people still need a helping hand to once again embark on productive activities," he said. "The Acholi people have a passion for farming; they should be helped to revitalise it."
Mr Otim said functions of cultural leaders were weakened as the majority of them had fled their homes and lived separately from their clans.
"Concentration in the camps restricted the abilities of traditional leaders to effectively perform their traditional duties of mediation, cultural revitalisation and community development," Mr Otim said. "While in camps, the use of traditional rituals, ceremonies and customs greatly declined which can be partly attributed to the difficult living conditions."
He said communities have experienced abominable forms of violence such as abductions mainly of young boys. "The most challenging aspect of the current conflict is dividing the line between perpetrators from the victims," said Mr Otim.
The princess visited Koch Ongako and Koch Goma IDP camps and various Danish funded projects. Danish Refugee Council, one of the organisations has helped to sink boreholes, roads and rehabilitate sub-county headquarters in Gulu and Amuru districts. Princess Donaldson pledged to support Northern Uganda in her road to recovery through the various Danish organisations.
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