From: "Lisa Toro" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Fw: Fw: ugnet_: Re: Help Acholi rediscover themselves Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2003 17:57:27 +0100
----- Original Message ----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, September 19, 2003 2:04 PM Subject: Re: Fw: ugnet_: Re: Help Acholi rediscover themselves
Mr. Joe Nam,
You wrote:
"Mr President, there is one more approach to ending the >northern Uganda conflict that needs exploration -just >tell the Acholi people that they are a great people >and show that you mean those words."
This very first paragraph of your essay indicates right away that you don't know the cause of the problem you are attempting to solve. What you seem to see as the Acholis problem was actually caused by President Museveni himself.
By the time Museveni burst into the political scene all the major social issues of the country had been organised into political parties. There was nothing for him to ride on to power. What he did was create artificial issues. One such issue and perhaps the most significant in his scheme of things was turning the Acholis into a punching bag for the Baganda.
He presented to the Baganda the arguement that it is the Acholis who had been killing them in Luwero. From this position the inescapable outcome was for the Baganda to go into Acholiland and revenge. This is what happened when the NRA went into Acholiland. And this was the frustration that led to the desperation which resulted into the Lakwena episode of the problems in Acholi.
Basing oneself on this background, it is impossible for Museveni to come around and help the Acholis recover their honour as you say. It is not in his interest. If he does so he will lose his moblising object. serious Acholis cannot trust him on that either. Not only do they know that he behind what you call their identity crisis but he has demonstrated before that he cannot be trusted. Don't you remember the Nairobi Peace talks?
Yoga Adhola. _____________________________________________
----- Original Message ----- From: "Lutimba Matovu" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2003 3:17 PM Subject: ugnet_: Re: Help Acholi rediscover themselves
>Help Acholi rediscover themselves > >Mr President, there is one more approach to ending the >northern Uganda conflict that needs exploration -just >tell the Acholi people that they are a great people >and show that you mean those words. > >The Joseph Kony war has many faces. One of these >facets that needs appreciation is the cultural >dimension of the war. This entails understanding the >Acholi people. Now, who are the Acholi? A dark >skinned, tall and violent luo-speaking tribe who live >in northern Uganda? > >This is too simplistic a description. One must >understand the psyche of the Acholi. A better >understanding of the Acholi would give vital clues >that would probably lead to better policies on ending >the 17-year-old conflict in northern Uganda. > >The Kony war is not a war aimed at toppling the >government. Joseph Kony is not fighting to overrun >Kampala. he is not interested in becoming the >president of Uganda. >At the heart of the northern war is the fight for >Acholi ethnic identity. This is the reason the >objectives of Kony's Lord Resistance Army (LRA) remain >vague. The northern war cannot end without addressing >the question of Acholi identity. > >Anthropological and ethnographic studies that give >useful information about the Acholi are available. It >is important to understand the distinctiveness of >ethnic groups. This is part of Africa's diversity that >puzzled the western world right from colonial times to >the present day. > >Failure to appreciate this has frustrated many well >intentioned politicians, programmes and projects in >Africa. >Is this tribalism? Yes and no. "Tribalism" just like >"sex" has been skewed to suggest evil when it is not. > >The colonialists demonised tribalism because tribes >posed an obstacle to creating big economic zones for >the exploitation of African resources. The >post-independence African leaders are still playing >the parrot to this colonial mischief. Ethnicity should >be seen in its true and positive light. >We are to blame for letting politicians harness the >powerful force of ethnicity for evil. Some academics >argue that what we call tribes are actually nations. >The word "tribe" was used by colonialists to undermine >the African people. > >Let me suggest a simple ethnographic profile of the >Acholi people. They are one of the most culturally >cohesive group in the country, with a tight ethnic >fabric than most ethnic groupings in Uganda. At >Makerere University, it is not uncommon to see Acholi >students moving in groups of four, five or seven. > >The Acholi students association at University has one >of biggest memberships. Perhaps only second to >Nkoba-za-mbogo, the Buganda student's association. An >Acholi, even one with national and international >exposure, is more likely to marry a fellow Acholi. >The Acholi are very convinced of their cultural >superiority. It was drummed into their psyche from >childhood. > >Every year at the University's cultural gala, which >features traditional dances, songs and other >performances, either the Acholi or the Baganda win. >Records would show that the Acholi have won most >times. >An Acholi traditional dance is more likely to attract >and retain attention than most traditional dances in >Uganda. The Acholi language probably has the richest >reservoir of poetry, songs, stories, riddles and >symbolism in Uganda (read the works of Okot p' Bitek >and other Acholi writers) > >Acholi people have a tradition of military bravery >that is only comparable to that of the Scots. >Americans and Canadians of Scottish descent constitute >a single group with the most decorated officers in the >US armed forces. During the American civil war >(1861-1865) it took the intervention of German >mercenaries to turn the tide against confederate >forces -- who had many officers and men of Scottish >descent -- and save the Union that constitutes the US. > > >The Acholi have dominated Uganda's army since colonial >times. This is not merely an accident of British >colonial administration policy as Uganda's historians >would have us believe. There is a cultural dimension >to it. > >Acholi probably constitute the highest ethnic >representation in the officers and men of the UPDF, >excluding top commanders. > >The Acholi formed the bulk of Uganda's fighting force >which ousted Idi Amin in 1979. Those who witnessed the >Luwero Triangle War (1981-1985) are more likely to >remember Acholi soldiers than any other tribes. The >Acholi language usage is probably loaded with more >connotations relating to fighting, hunting, attack and >similar words than any ethnic group in Uganda. > >With this brief background, the response of the Acholi >to what they see as betrayal by the Movement >government should be understandable. The >aforementioned see the Movement as not only having >betrayed them, but also negated their identity. >When Yoweri Museveni defeated the Acholi-led >government in Kampala in 1986, it was not only a >betrayal of the Acholi peace gestures (the Nairobi >peace talks of 1985) to Museveni, but also a violation >of Acholi identity. > >You will recall that by toppling Obote, Acholi aspired >to be an important process to bring reconciliation to >Uganda. That is why Museveni was invited out of the >Bush on the day Obote fell. Obote fell because of >failure to recognise the Acholi identity in appointing >the army chief of staff. >The issue of identity is crucial to humanity and a man >will do anything to establish his identity. In fact, >ethnic identity has played a prominent role in >Uganda's conflicts since independence. When Milton >Obote abolished the Buganda Monarchy in 1966 and >exiled Fred Mutesa, Buganda's King, the most important >thing Obote had denied the Baganda was their identity. > > >The Baganda remained restless and hollow for many >years. When the chance to fight Obote came in Luwero >Triangle, they did it with all their hearts. The fight >was really to regain the Buganda ethnic identity and >the institution that embodies it. The Acholi or any >other group are no exception. > >The Acholi ethnic construct exalts tribe above other >aspects of group identity. To the Acholi tribe is >priority. This explains the low levels of nationalism >and patriotism among the Acholi people. Such ethnic >identity structure poses severe limitations on the >Acholi to adjust to new political and other realities. > > >In fact, analyists say that the Acholi ethnic approach >to issues and their deficiency in nationalist trait >was why the Okello government failed to keep a >coalition of forces opposed to Obote. > >So, when Museveni marched into Kampala and toppled the >six-month Acholi-led government, the stage for the >conflict that is now 17 years old was set. The quest >to preserve Acholi identity began with Angelo Okello >of UPDA, who made peace with the government but died >after surrender. > >It was followed by Alice Lakwena who ran out of steam. >Joseph Kony took over and proved resilient. Some >Acholi say that even if Joseph Kony were to die or be >captured, some one else would rise in his stead. This >might sound strange, until one acknowledges that >Joseph Kony is, to a section of Acholi, a symbol of >Acholi resistance and bravery. > >That is why it is difficult for some Acholi >politicians to condemn Kony. And that's the reason >Kony's objective for fighting remains hazy. It cannot >easily be articulated because it has to do with an >identity crisis. "Talk to Kony" is what will be said >over and over by Acholi politicians, elite and >religious leaders. > >Government should consider helping the Acholi >re-discover their identity, that is the true road map >to peace in the north. How this can be done is another >subject. Guns are useless in solving conflicts of this >nature. If the northern war becomes an agenda on the >UN security council, that would be an embarrassment to >Uganda. > >The victory of the NRA in 1986 should have been >followed by a face-saving offer for the vanquished to >accept the new reality, that is where the NRM failed. >The Acholi were humiliated in many ways. It is as if >the response is: "Look! We are also men. To prove it, >sons of Acholi who took to the bush will fight and >fight." It is immaterial to them that children are >abducted, women raped, civilians maimed or killed, as >long as a point is proved. > >Joe Nam >Kampala >New Vision 18-9-03 > > > > > > > >===== >LM > >__________________________________ >Do you Yahoo!? >Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software >http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com > > >-------------------------------------------- >This service is hosted on the Infocom network >http://www.infocom.co.ug >
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