When you see Acholis pilling up to defend Museveni’s government by these
numbers, mumuleke muzeeyi waffe abeewo.
EM
On the 49th Parallel
Thé Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja and Dr. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda is in anarchy"
Kuungana Mulindwa Mawasiliano Kikundi
"Pamoja na Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja na Dk. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda ni katika
machafuko"
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Hannah Ogwapiti
Sent: Monday, November 10, 2014 8:44 AM
To: [email protected]
Cc: Jonny Rubin; beti kamya; Kale Kayihura; Tugume Sam; peter okello;
[email protected]; [email protected]; Imaama kasozi; Human Rights Centre
Uganda; WB Kyijomanyi
Subject: Re: {UAH} TIME TO REAP - 5000 GUNS MISSING IN LANGO!
Robukui,
These are the pics of the recent army recruitment in Lira.These are Potential
recruits being screened at Akii Bua Stadium
<https://scontent-a-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10352350_10152518266203049_1896971992868441919_n.jpg?oh=0c5ef3dca2faffbf46f767dfa9f84990&oe=54E5740F>
2.A potential recruit being shown the exit after he was screened out
<https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10462846_10152518265283049_1649824730056880866_n.jpg?oh=08137df60945f58f385bb33be03ee54e&oe=54DE036F&__gda__=1424685578_b5ad612b4e98006d93c1dfe059c7b3a6>
3.Recruits being screened
<https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10712976_10152518266518049_8914161855349656578_n.jpg?oh=34d2ddcb31fa1bfa1236e60d0b7a4c73&oe=54E9ECAC&__gda__=1423856073_2a29af2b872b273992d921edaa7dcb20>
4.A lady, almost in tears being sent away after failing the requirement
<https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/v/t1.0-9/10712991_10152518270118049_2632982094142933936_n.jpg?oh=02e7956a97b67c76f790bef34a5504d3&oe=54D5A104&__gda__=1424627281_fb186b6b26e10e2d12dc2fc9b4dddcb2>
5.These ladies, all said they are widows excorted their children for
recruitment at Akii Bua Stadium L - R Christine Eregu, 40, Dillis Ecel, 43,
Hellen Aguma, 52, and Harriet Okullo, 38
<https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/1796630_10152518276403049_2895873192372981307_n.jpg?oh=133648384841f574a3d85458469f6414&oe=54DAE19F&__gda__=1423893544_52545e3afe2d7b9b7f5061eb801eca4a>
6.Some youth who failed to be recruited look on as the exercise go on
<https://scontent-a-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10421125_10152518272393049_8597134458684961014_n.jpg?oh=48b4e4daaf2991f36680f118e481cbe7&oe=54F13A07>
7.The potential recruits who pass the first phase of screening for LC letters
and academic documents wait for further screening
<https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/10690002_10152518274243049_5521249672019897603_n.jpg?oh=8e67016ec3e6b1a1c483918e7cd2f108&oe=54DB22EC&__gda__=1424941400_ba0a7c04c5a86c3774f86e40962c2f90>
8.UPDF Medical officer checking the recruits, part of the screening before one
is enlisted into the army
<https://scontent-a-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/15272_10152518275753049_285336090699939092_n.jpg?oh=8d8e3fd783dee467830797863fbe5596&oe=54D69F39>
On Mon, Nov 10, 2014 at 1:47 AM, Robukui . <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]> > wrote:
<http://changeofguards.blogspot.ca/2014/11/time-to-reap-5000-guns-missing-in-lango.html>
TIME TO REAP - 5000 GUNS MISSING IN LANGO!
This week there has been several press reports 5000 SMGs (sub machine guns)
being illegally held in Lango sub region. The 5000 reportedly missing ones are
part of about 12000 that had been given out by the army to the Amuka civil
militia group during the LRA insurgency. The militia group was later disbanded
and its members demoblised. Quoting the army's 5th Division spokesmen Lt.
George Musinguzi who confirmed thus "much as some of the combatants were
integrated into the UPDF and Police, many of them stayed behind and did not
return the guns in their possession." A former member of the Amuka militia
Joseph Onyango Okello claims that "Even powerful people aligned to the ruling
party never returned their guns." The Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of
Lira George Odong confirmed this fear thus "Disarmament and recovery of guns
from from Amuka militia was not done in a proper way." This development comes
amidst reports of the region and in particular its capital Lira being hit by a
wave of insecurity characterised by unresolved armed robberies and murder of
prominent residents.
At the height of the LRA insurgency in northern Uganda, government decided to
forcefully remove all people from their homes and horded them into camps that
were termed Internally displaced People's (IDP) camps. The move was aimed at
isolating the insurgents from the population that was believed to be supporting
the insurgency. Because the army was thin on the ground, it decided to create
local civil militias to provide security for the IDPs. In Teso and Acholi sub
regions the militias were called Arrow Boys and Home Guards respectively. In
Lango is came to be known as Amuka while in Karamoja it was the Anti-Stock
Theft Unit (ASTU). In the rest of the country similar local militias had all
along been referred to as Local Defence Forces/Units (LDU/F).
In Lango Hon Felix Okot Ogong initiated the creation of the Amuka militias in
2003. He convened a meeting at Uganda <http://changeofguards.blogspot.ca/>
TECHNICAL COLLEGE Lira where a resolution was unanimously agreed by the general
populace of Lango. The over 10000 volunteers underwent a crash training by the
army at Aler farm located nine kms from Lira town. In November 2003 Hon Okot
Ogong was quoted by the BBC as appealing to government to release 10000 guns to
cater for the 20 militias for each of the 2249 villages. A total of 12,000
(including about 100 females) militias were trained alongside some district
leaders like the then RDC Charles Engwau Egou, LC 5 boss Ojul and some
councillors.
The training was conducted by the army's 403 Brigade and the officer directly
in-charge was then Lt. Col Jim Byarugaba. The Brigade Commander then Lt Col J.B
Mulindwa oversaw the armament of the militias. In Dec 2003 The then Minister of
Health Capt Mike Mukula who was the patron of the Arrow Boys in Teso visited
the Amuka boys at Aler farm and addressed them thus "When you finish Kony, the
guns you have will remain in the region.......so that you can protect
yourself." The then Minister of State for Defence Ruth Nankabirwa on a tour of
Lango region called on the trainees and assured them of salary and arms. Due to
harsh conditions, some of the militias deserted before completing training. In
January 2004 the then Army Commander Aronda also visited the trainees at Aler
farm where he apologised for the one meal a day that was being given to the
trainees claiming that he did not know. Of course their food supplies were
being diverted and sold off by the thieving army officers. At the time of
passing out the army spokesman made the famous pronouncement to the effect that
the LRA had been decimated to less than one hundred who were even fleeing to
Sudan. To disprove him, on 21st Feb 2004 the LRA struck Barlonyo IDP camp that
had a population of about 4000 people and was at the time guarded by only 35
Amuka militias. The poorly trained and inadequately equipped militias simply
fled leaving the LRA to kill over 200 people. This incident was followed by
violent protests by the Langi community who accused the Acholi community of
being sympathetic to the LRA. On 24th February 2004 Museveni presided over the
burial of the massacred people where he pledged to honor the dead by building a
health centre, <http://changeofguards.blogspot.ca/> TECHNICAL COLLEGE and a
bridge in the area. The aim of creating a militia to guard the camp had failed
ab-initial because the militias had been diverted from their role to operations
against the LRA alongside the army. The IDPs had been duped into enlisting for
the civil militia to guard their camp.
These militiashad been recruited against the background of political and
economic pressure. Museveni had opportunistically reduced the size of the NRA
through demoblisation meant to cut down the defence expenditure. Unknown to the
donors, the huge defence budget was not going to the foot soldiers but was
being stolen by commanders. The youth in the camps feared to be branded LRA
collaborators, had no means of economic survival but more so there was no
adequate protection for the camps by the army. For fear of the donors and
direct liability for the actions of these militias, the government claimed that
the militias were under the Ministry of Internal Affairs but recruited,
trained, commanded, armed, and supplied by the army. The NRA commanders in
charge of these militia units were accused of torturing, unfair dismissal, and
diversion of salaries meant for these militias through the usual NRA practice
of creating 'ghost' payments. As if that was not enough the militias were being
deployed away from the camps to carry out military operations against the LRA
away from their mother camps. All these anomalies led to a big number of
militias to desert. because the commanders were more interested in continuing
to draw the salaries meant for these militias, the deserters were not declared
and their army were not being retrieved. Some militias were even deployed as
far as DRC during the NRA Congo adventure.
The militias had been created without putting in place without any legal
framework. With time these militias became a source of insecurity as they would
harass, rob, torture, and kill the very people they were supposed to protect.
The 1995 constitution Article 208 stipulated that "No person shall rise an
armed force except in accordance with this constitution." Article 222 empowered
parliament to make laws to regulate the posession and use of firearms and
ammunition.The NRA Statute had provided for but did not specify "persons who
had been asked to come and work alongside the UPDF - such other officers and
militants attached to the regular force under arrangement made by government."
Despite repeated appeals by parliament and the general public, government was
adamant to come up with a legal framework to define the status of militias. As
such these militias operated in an atmosphere of impunity. In May 2006 five
Amuka militias were sentenced by the 403 Brigade court martial to four years
imprisonment for murdering 12 and injuring a dozen civilians. Museveni who
always dupes Ugandans that his army kills its members who kill civilians, this
four years sentence was a mockery. The African Center for the treatment and
<http://changeofguards.blogspot.ca/> REHABILITATION of torture victims had
ranked the local defence personnel in country ahead of the Police and the army
in human rights violations. The criminal Case of David Kironde Vs Mukono
District Administration and the Attorney General, it was rulled that "even if
there is no statute, torturous acts by LDUs, even if there is no statute
defining their status, they are servants of the government because they are
trained and armed by government to maintain law and order."
In 2005 the Armed Forces Act replaced the NRA Statute at a time government was
considering to disband the militias. At the time it was estimated that there
were about 38000 militias throughout the country. For the Amuka militias of
Lango sub region, its only 5000 out of 12,000 reported to have been formally
demoblised. At the time government could not account for where about of the
remaining number. The officials concerned with the exercise were more
preoccupied with payments of the outstanding salary areas than the security
aspect. A number of army officers were briefly suspended and accorded mock
trials in connection with theft of militias payments. One example is of then
Capt Kiwanuka Mohamed (the guy who had been used to infiltrate the rebel PRA)
was detained for stealing payments meant for the ASTU in Karamoja. Then Lt Col
Dick Olum was in charge of the Lira barracks where payments for ex Amukas were
being processed in 2007. A budget of 24.56 billion shillings was approved under
the Ministry of Defence for payment of salary arrears for the ex militias. At
Abia in Alebtong district Museveni addressed the demoblised militias and
promised them government facilitation of ox plough, a pair of oxen and 30 iron
sheets to each member as a resettlement package. In late 2005 4000 of these
militias had been conscripted into the army and the police to bolster the 2006
elections security. Some of the former militias were conscripted and given
extra military training at Singo <http://changeofguards.blogspot.ca/> TRAINING
SCHOOL around 2006. Already some of these militias were being used to harass
political opponents of the regime. The case of Lt. Magara who shot into the Dr.
Besigye campaign procession killing and maiming is a case in point. In 2012
some of the the ex militias were later re-moblised for the Somali mission.
A number of former Amuka militias whose pay was stolen by the army officers
sued government but the case has dragged on and remains un resolved. In 2013
the Army 5th Division Spokesman had this to say about the militia's demands
"Those complaining of non payment are part of the fighters who had deserted at
the time when they were being paid in 2007." Hon Okot Ogong attempted to
moblise the ex militias into an association that would attract economically
viable projects. He even made efforts to mobilise the Lango parliamentary group
to initiate a petition to government to look int the plight of the ex
militiamen. The government remained adamant since it has used them to defeat
the LRA and no longer needed them. The government acknowledged its failures in
protecting the property of the people of Lango by granting a 2.9 trillion
shillings compensation for the livestock lost. It is alleged that the livestock
from Lango was stollen by the Karamojong because the later had guns but the
former had just lost power to Museveni. Now Museveni claims to have succeeded
in disarming the Karimojong while indirectly arming the Langis!!! In 2012 the
government initiated a voluntary handing in of arms by the former Amuka
militias but the move did not bear any fruit. Now with the surge of illegal
arms orcherstrated insecurity hitting Lango, the government is panicking. It is
not easy to trace the ex Amuka militias who did not hand in the guns because
the whole arming had been done in a mischevious way right from day one. The
confusion had been deliberate so as to deny accountability. Imagine in one
incident in 2006 a one Martin Wacha who died from Kapchorwa was ferried and
buried Lira as Ambrose Adiga son of Martin Agweny but the real Ambrose Adiga
appeared at his home in 2010. Defence Minister Kiyonga personally delivered
five million shillings compensation to the agreived family before the
unidentified body was retrieved and reburied in the Kapeka.
The phenomena of illegally issued out arms by the Museveni regime is not
restricted to the insurgence regions of the north and north eastern. Since its
emergence the NRA has been issuing out arms to the so called cadres, political
mobilisers, contacts, and other party faithfuls in the western region and parts
of central and eastern region. Through mchaka mchaka programs (political
indoctrination), the slogan was that Museveni was diminstifying the gun that
had been a monopoly of the northern region. Individual army officers and well
connected government officials have always armed their workers, relatives and
friends.
This is how Museveni is credited for effectively managing security! You reap
what you sow.
INFORMATION IS POWER.
Posted by <http://www.blogger.com/profile/14776236400664835754> Uganda - A
Change of Guards! a
Viele GruBe
Robukui
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H.OGWAPITI
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"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are
to stand by the president right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile,
but is morally treasonable to the American public."
---Theodore Roosevelt
--
UAH forum is devoted to matters of interest to Ugandans. Individuals are
responsible for whatever they post on this forum.To unsubscribe from this
group, send email to: [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]> or Abbey Semuwemba at:
[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> .
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