----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Tuesday, June 28, 2005 10:21 am Subject: Re: Ugandanet Digest, Vol 11, Issue 179
> Bwana-KUbwa Opoko, why are blaming M7 on suffering of Acholi > people? You should give-up the killer Kony! l understand blood is > thicker than water.....Kony is leaving on Achooli blood l ,m > sure...100%.M7 ...WILL NEVER WIN..Kony-war with- out total > support of North. With same elements still helping Kony..killing > ,raping, cuting Achooli....lips and kidnapping children- > sometimes l wonder if The Achooli Ghosts will blaming M7. So Bwana- > Opoko.... do as THe Arrowboys---they are affective....since i was > akid my grandfather used tell storys of The Achooli > worriers....want happend to them? CWA.JB. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Date: Tuesday, June 28, 2005 8:17 am > Subject: Ugandanet Digest, Vol 11, Issue 179 > > > Send Ugandanet mailing list submissions to > > ugandanet@kym.net > > > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > > http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet > > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > You can reach the person managing the list at > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > > than "Re: Contents of Ugandanet digest..." > > > > > > Today's Topics: > > > > 1. UPDF troops rap Women in Northern Uganda IDP camps (Matek > Opoko)> 2. Tracing the roots of the Acholi people?s > suffering..by Yoweri > > Museveni (Matek Opoko) > > > > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > -- > > --- > > > > Message: 1 > > Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 05:11:40 -0700 (PDT) > > From: Matek Opoko <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Subject: [Ugnet] UPDF troops rap Women in Northern Uganda IDP camps > > To: ugandanet@kym.net, [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > > > > > 'I Was Raped By Men Who Should Have Guarded Me' > > > > > > Email This Page > > > > Print This Page > > > > Visit The Publisher's Site > > > > New Vision (Kampala) > > > > INTERVIEW > > June 27, 2005 > > Posted to the web June 27, 2005 > > > > Kampala > > > > STELLA was awakened by heavy footsteps treading outside her > > makeshift shack. She realised very soon she may breath her last. > > It was about 11:00pm. The moon brightly shone over Pabbo > > internally displaced people's camp, Gulu. Her heart missed > several > > beats, then begun pounding in her ears. > > > > Stella prayed that God spares her children. In desperation, she > > shook the child lying next to her. "Wake up," she whispered. > > Unfortunately, the little girl woke up in a fright. She > screamed. > > On Stella's other side, the last born also begun crying. > > > > The presence of her husband in the dingy hut was of no use. The > > father of her five children was dead drunk. She was even more > > terrified when he begun snoring loudly. She wanted to weep! But > > realised that would be at her children's detriment. > > > > Anguish seized her. She tried to calm herself, but could hardly > > stop the violent shiver that shook her from head to toe. A heavy > > sigh escaped her when the children stopped crying. Stella > narrates...> > > "I thought oh, God has heard me again. The footsteps outside had > > stopped, but in my frightened state, I didn't know which side > they > > had gone. I stuffed my breast in the baby's mouth to prevent any > > further outbursts. > > > > "As I leaned on the mud wattle wall, my heart sank when I heard > > someone banging on the tin door," she narrates. > > > > "Funguwa mulango (open the door)," a man shouted. > > > > "Lubanga (God in Acholi)," I whispered, Lubanga! The door was > made > > of straightened and patched up tins of USA oil. It was weak, so > > they easily kicked it open. All the children had woken up, but > > their father continued snoring. I held my breast firmly in the > > baby's mouth. > > > > "They were flashing torches, so glimpses of light fell on them. > I > > recognised one of them, but I couldn't say for fear that they > > could kill my whole family. He was a popular soldier in the camp. > > > > "They were six men. They ordered me and my 10-year-old daughter > to > > go out. > > > > "The moon was bright. Some were speaking Kiswahili with a > > Kinyankole accent. I knew they were UPDF soldiers not rebels. > > > > "My daughter tried to cry, but one of the soldiers kicked her > and > > she fell on the ground. I stood there, helpless. I wanted to > help > > my child, but I had to be cautious, any wrong move could get us > > killed. Seeing they were soldiers, I knew what they wanted. I > only > > wished they could leave my little girl alone. > > > > "They ordered us to begin moving. I tried to plead with them to > > let my daughter go back and was slapped in the face. They > accused > > me of being a rebel collaborator. I was not surprised. Other > women > > said that is what they always said. > > > > "We were told not to look behind as we moved away from the camp. > > They ordered me to throw my baby in the bush. He was crying > > incessantly. I refused. I told them to kill us quickly, if they > > had plans of taking our lives. > > > > "One man slapped my face again and grabbed the baby. My son > cried > > so loudly. I thought my ears would burst. He was thrown into the > > shrubs. I pleaded with him in vain. > > > > "After a distance, they ordered us to lie with our faces on the > > ground. I felt rough hands groping under my dress. As they raped > > me in turns, they were doing the same to my daughter. I could > hear > > her struggling but they covered her mouth. She stopped > struggling > > at some point. I think I also blacked out," > > > > Every woman and girl in Pabbo IDP camp braves herself for rape > and > > child sexual abuse respectively. Only, Stella says it strips off > > all preparations, leaving you shattered. She narrates... > > > > "I woke up with a start. There was dew on the grass. I moved my > > legs and felt sore all over. Then the horror came back to me. > The > > pain was excruciating. But I remembered my children. My daughter > > was lying nearby, she was groaning. When I tried to help her up, > > she couldn't stand. > > > > "I had to hurry before the whole camp woke up. I couldn't stand > > the humiliation of what had happened. I carried my daughter to > the > > camp. > > The pain was like I had been sliced between the legs, but I > moved on. > > > > I passed my baby and stopped to check if he was breathing. I > think > > he cried himself to sleep. > > Relevant LinksEast Africa > > Women and Gender > > Refugees and Displacement > > Uganda > > Civil War and Communal Conflict > > Arms and Military Affairs > > Human Rights > > > > "My daughter was bleeding profusely. For four days, she refused > to > > come out of the hut. I told my husband what happened. He went to > > report to the barracks, but was beaten up severely. > > > > "My bright girl has since dropped out of school, other children > > laugh at her. The soldiers were not punished, they were just > > transferred..." Stella says. > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > Yahoo! Mail > > Stay connected, organized, and protected. Take the tour > > -------------- next part -------------- > > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > > URL: > > > http://kym.net/pipermail/ugandanet/attachments/20050628/4e567bc8/attachment.html> > ------------------------------ > > > > Message: 2 > > Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 05:15:39 -0700 (PDT) > > From: Matek Opoko <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Subject: [Ugnet] Tracing the roots of the Acholi people?s > > suffering..by Yoweri Museveni > > To: ugandanet@kym.net, [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > > > Tracing the roots of the Acholi people?s sufferingYoweri K. > > MuseveniGULU > > The suffering of our people in Acholi, in particular, as well as > > part of the North-Central part of Uganda in general, has been > > occasioned by six factors: colonial manipulation and > distortions; > > poor leadership; a weak state; bad national politics; the Afro- > > Arab conflict in the Sudan; and lack of education leading to > > mysticism. > > When the British were colonizing Uganda, they used the method of > > playing one group against another (divide and rule). Fearing the > > strength of the Buganda they had expanded at the expense of > > Bunyoro, in particular, as well as other parts of Uganda in > > general, they started a new scheme of using parts of the North > > against our people in Buganda. They, then, started peddling > > certain myths and lies to play one group of our people against > > another. For instance, the Baganda were very "clever" people. > > > > They were not like other natives of Uganda. On the other hand, > the > > Northerners, the Acholis in particular, were "a martial race" > > whose natural instincts were skewed towards war-like activities. > > Those lies and distortions went to the heads of whatever > > leadership was available at that time which, in turn, amplified > > and spread them to the rest of the population. > > > > Clear thinking leaders should never have countenanced such > trash. > > It should have been treated with disdain they deserved before it > > led our people to all these sufferings: the 1966 coup by Obote > > against the Constitution; Amin's 1971 coup and the hemorrhage > that > > went with it; the missed chance of 1979/1980; the massacres in > > Luwero (the philosophy of "a good Muganda is a dead one"); and > the > > demonic madness of Kony, his collaborators and apologists. > > > > Poor leadership > > Juxtaposed side by side with the problem of colonial distortions > > and manipulation is the problem of poor leadership in Acholi. > Like > > many other areas of Uganda, our Acholi people lacked leaders > from > > within the community to tell, in very clear language, the > trouble > > makers to go to hell. > > > > Buganda, and other parts of Uganda, for a long time, had the > same > > problem: - nobody within the respective communities to tell off > > the trouble-makers and parasites. > > My personal experiences highlight this issue in two instances: > the > > onset of Idi Amin in 1971 and the problem of Obugabe (Kingship > in > > Ankole). Virtually all the citizens of North Ankole had been DP > > supporters. They, therefore, jubilated when Obote was overthrown > > by Amin. > > > > Their simple but erroneous reasoning was as follows: "the enemy > of > > my enemy is my friend." I told off all my confused compatriots, > > relatives, friends or previous collaborators. I could not > support > > an uneducated person to be the President of Uganda for any > length > > of time; moreover, a person that was known to be a killer. I > never > > aided or abetted Amin for even one day. In so doing I provided > > uncompromising leadership against evil, against my very > relatives, > > friends and close collaborators. > > > > More recently, there was the divisive issue of Obugabe > (Kingship) > > in Ankole. I made it very clear that either Omugabe was accepted > > by all sections or we would allow no Mugabe. That type of > > leadership has been lacking in Acholi, except for some few > > individuals from this area. > > > > How could leaders accept rape of children, murders, mutilations, > > disfigurements, etc? By not condemning loudly the terrorists, > many > > Acholi leaders were encouraging the wrong-doers. In fact, they > > would say: "let us kill civilians and Government would be > blamed". > > Indeed, it would happen - the Government would be condemned and > > the killers would either be pampered or covered up. How many > times > > did we hear the statements like: "It is the Government killing > > Acholis and blaming it on the rebels"? > > > > Weak state > > The third factor was a weak state, especially the phenomenon of > a > > one-dimensional national defence force. Modern Armies are, at > > least, three-dimensional. A three-dimensional defence force > covers > > land, sea (lakes) and air - i.e. Army, Airforce and navy. Owing > to > > the turbulent history of Uganda, the building of a three > > dimensional National Defence force was never achieved. It is > only > > recently that we are tackling this problem. > > > > By 1986 we had a very dedicated land force (infantry mainly). It > > was not, however, possible to quickly resolve the terrorism put > > out by Kony, supported by certain external forces, only relying > on > > this force alone. That is why the struggle had to be protracted. > > We are now, finally, solving that problem of a uni-dimensional > > national defence force. That is how we have been able to break > the > > back of the terrorists. > > > > We are continuing to build the three dimensions of our national > > defence forces. I can assure Ugandans that, henceforth, it will > > not be possible for any force to destabilise our democracy using > > force. > > > > We have the capacity to deal with them promptly unlike in the > past > > when we had to engage in this valiant but protracted campaign > > against the terrorists. Those in the habit of threatening > violence > > had better restrain themselves. > > > > The fact that UPDF has been able not only to cope with the Kony > > group but to also suppress it, is a factor that should give > > Ugandans peace of mind regarding their democratic future. We are > > now going to focus more on corruption in relation to State > funds, > > contracts, fair adjudication and abuse of office. > > > > Bad politics > > The undoing of Uganda right from the days of colonialism was the > > problem of bad politics. Bad politics means politics that is > > devoid of principles that are designed to uplift the people of > > Uganda out of their backwardness. > > > > It is politics that is, instead, aimed at, using the Ugandan > > people's lack of information to use them for personal interests > to > > access jobs or resources. It is politics without vision for > > transformation. It is parasitic politics. The bad politics of > > Uganda, in particular, has been characterized by two elements: > > lack of belief in democratic solutions and sectarianism. > > > > Why has Kony been killing people? If he wanted power, ever > > since1989, when we expanded the NRC, we have been having > > elections. Why couldn't he stand for any post? See how we are > > resolving all outstanding issues: opening the political space, > > regional tier, term limits for President, etc. We refer the > issues > > to the referenda, Parliament, etc. Why should there be violence? > > Anybody who continues to believe or talk of violence, when there > > are democratic options is an enemy of the people and a criminal. > > > > The other element of bad politics is sectarianism, based on > > tribes, religion, etc. This is why Obote did not act against > Amin > > even the British Governor-General gave him the evidence of all > the > > crimes he had committed. At that time 1962, there was still the > > false groupism of the Northern Region vs the other regions of > > Uganda. The consequences were very bitter for Uganda. "Whatever > a > > man sows is what he reaps." My stand on such issues is very > clear. > > In 1989, I dismissed my own brother, Saleh, from the Army for > > drunkenness. Yet, very few people in Uganda could compare with > > Saleh in contributing to our struggle. > > > > He had, however, lost bearing. I had to act. I was, therefore, > > happy to hear that Rwot Acana reprimanded the terrorists when he > > met them near Palabek. That is part of the medicine. > > > > Afro-Arab conflict > > The Afro-Arab conflict in the Sudan is one of the greatest > > indignities to the black people. Sudan should be a great Afro- > Arab > > bridge, where the heritages of the two different races are > > accorded equal treatment. Instead, some elements in Sudan tried > to > > turn it into an Arab bridge-head into Black Africa - to convey > > Arabism and enforced Islamisation into the heartland of Black > > Africa. > > > > The Black people there, our brothers, waged a protracted and > > lonely struggle for their salvation ever since 1955. When we > came > > into Government in 1986, for some unknown reasons, the Sudanese > > Arabs decided to attack us, without any provocation, on the 22nd > > of August, 1986, at Bibia. Our Battalion 28 defeated this attack > > decisively. However, the attackers, spurred on by Sudan fanned > out > > and spread the terror to the countryside. > > > > The mistake by the Arabs of Sudan of interfering in our internal > > affairs caused us to give strong support to the SPLA. As a > > consequence, the SPLA took over 90% of Southern Sudan, a land > area > > that is three times the size of Uganda. Some other Governments > in > > Africa also extended material support to the SPLA off and on. > The > > SPLA has, eventually, signed a very good agreement with the > Sudan > > Government, thereby liberating the people of Southern Sudan. > > > > The Sudanese Arabs, by supporting Lakwena and Kony, created a > lot > > of problems for us, but they also created a lot of problems for > > themselves and a hope of freedom for our Black brothers in > > Southern Sudan. > > > > Having realized the futility and counter productiveness of their > > support for Kony, the Sudanese Arabs, starting with 2002, agreed > > to end support for Kony. Some clandestine support for Kony > > continued until about one year ago. > > > > Without Sudan supporting Lakwena, Kony, and others, there would > > have been no terrorism in Northern Uganda, in West Nile, in the > > Rwenzori region, etc. However, possibly, there would not have > been > > the liberation of Southern Sudan either. Should we conclude that > > God works in mysterious ways? > > > > Lack of Education > > There seems to be a lot of superstition in Acholi that can be > > manipulated by the crooks like Kony. This is an unfortunate > result > > of limited education. The Movement has introduced Universal > > Education in the form of UPE. We have built Gulu University, > etc. > > We shall get rid of illiteracy. However, the Acholi leaders and > > religious leaders must help us with the superstition. > > > > The Movement and the UPDF have stood with you (the people of > > Acholi) throughout this in addition to our previous stand > against > > Idi Amin, Milton Obote, etc. We support right, oppose wrong, > unite > > as many people as can be united to isolate the enemy to the > > maximum. You all can see that our firm stand is, finally and > > irreversibly, bringing peace. > > We have a rehabilitation plan as soon as the scattered remnants > > are accounted for. > > > > *This is an edited version of a speech President Museveni gave > at > > a retreat for Acholi leaders at Paraa Lodge on June 26. > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > > Do You Yahoo!? > > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > > http://mail.yahoo.com > > -------------- next part -------------- > > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > > URL: > > > http://kym.net/pipermail/ugandanet/attachments/20050628/48e46811/attachment.html> > ------------------------------ > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Ugandanet mailing list > > Ugandanet@kym.net > > http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet > > > > > > End of Ugandanet Digest, Vol 11, Issue 179 > > ****************************************** > > > _______________________________________________ Ugandanet mailing list Ugandanet@kym.net http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
