{In an effort to put a face-lift on this series, effective April 2nd, its
headline is going to be changed from IDDI AMIN NEVER TARGETED LANGIs/ACHOLIs,
THEY TARGETED HIM to “THE MULINDWA NOTES ON VIOLENCE IN UGANDA” Sorry about
the changes but we had to make this move in order to make us get better at
exposing what this series is all about.
This series is about Acholi violence.}
Friends
At the end of the shooting about 300 women, men and children lay dead, murdered
in cold blood. Thirty-nine students of Atiak Technical School were among the
victims. Organizers of this year’s memorial service chose “the future is in our
hand” as the theme. This theme is supposed to encourage and give hope to the
survivors. MS Catherine Akwero, 50, a mother of five who survived the massacre
because she had children, said her son Richard Nyeko, then in primary seven at
Olya Primary School was killed in her presence. She says her son was forced to
lie down, shot and stabbed. But Nyeko did not die instantly and as she followed
up to the scene of the massacre the next day with government forces, Nyeko lay
on the ground still unconscious. “We found him still alive but when he asked
for water and took it, he died immediately,” Akwero recalls with strains of
pain on her face. Memories of this dark day continue to haunt Akwero as she
describes her deceased son as a talented footballer. Indeed before meeting his
death, Nyeko was abducted along other Atyak Technical School students while
playing football, she adds. While in the bush and after the massacre, Akwero
recalls Otti ordering survivors to clap for what had happened.
Whenever we discuss Uganda politics, it simply baffles me how men like Akim
Odong, George Okello, Ocen Nekyon, but we as Ugandans at large, fail to realize
the larger problem coming to face Northern Uganda. The numbers of those that
have been traumatized is simply through the roof, one can seriously wonder if
Uganda’s very immediate danger is not Northern Uganda but the removal of
Museveni from power. And that has seriously bothered me. How do we build this
country when we have such a huge number of traumatized population as such? How
do we manage to live with them in the same country? And do you know what is so
funny? All assistance to them has been out of Uganda, Ugandans and those from
The North just tapped into their suffering to make a killing. This is going to
be a huge problem in Uganda and we better start to face it. Lastly I have a
problem with the last sentence, in Luwero we never invited the war it was
brought to us by those that believed into violence, and here is the sentence I
will quote about the massacre of Atiak “Leading the attack was a son of the
area, the then LRA’s second in command, Vincent Otti. The incident shocked the
country. But even with the passing of time, the wounds of that massacre
continue to bleed today. “ End quote. You do not have a Muganda in Luwero that
lined up kids and shot them in front of their mothers yet you have Acholi doing
so. Equating Luwero and The North is simply offensive. Paul Amoru and Sam
Lawino wrote a piece entitled Ghosts of Atiak massacre haunt Acholi 15 years
later. It was published by The Daily Monitor.
Ugandans we need to discuss Acholi violence candidly.
Ghosts of Atiak massacre haunt Acholi 15 years later
REST THEIR SOULS IN PEACE: Survivors pray and lay wreaths on the monument in
Atiak Trading Centre on April 20. PHOTO BY SAM LAWINO
By Paul Amoru & Sam Lawino
On April 20 every year, hundreds gather in Atiak to mourn and pray for the
souls of their loved ones, who were killed by the Lord’s Resistance Army rebels
in 2005.
As is the norm, survivors and relative of victims of the Atiak massacre
converged to reflect on the long journey to peace in Amuru District. This
year’s participants included religious leaders, politicians, school children,
visitors, and the vast majority of Atiak residents—a crowd of more than 500.
They held prayers around a monument that bears witness of the brutal killing.
About 340 people were gunned down on a single day by the Lord’s Resistance Army
(LRA) rebels.
Leading the attack was a son of the area, the then LRA’s second in command,
Vincent Otti. The incident shocked the country. But even with the passing of
time, the wounds of that massacre continue to bleed today.
Survivors of the massacre had for nearly a decade failed to break the silence
on what they saw or heard, for fear of fresh attacks by the LRA. Saturday
Monitor met some of the survivors who accused the government of offering them
lip service and blamed politicians for taking advantage of the Memorial Day to
gain political mileage.
The LRA attacked Atiak on April 20, 2005, in the wee hours of the morning,
abducted hundreds of people and took them to the banks of the Ayugi River, some
seven kilometres away. This was the largest single massacre by the Lord's
Resistance Army. Those captured were told to sit, some pregnant women and
breastfeeding mothers were called to leave the main group and at a signal, hell
broke loose. The rebels opened fire for several minutes.
At the end of the shooting about 300 women, men and children lay dead, murdered
in cold blood. Thirty-nine students of Atiak Technical School were among the
victims. Organisers of this year’s memorial service chose “the future is in our
hand” as the theme. This theme is supposed to encourage and give hope to the
survivors.
Ms Catherine Akwero, 50, a mother of five who survived the massacre because she
had children, said her son Richard Nyeko, then in primary seven at Olya Primary
School was killed in her presence. She says her son was forced to lie down,
shot and stabbed. But Nyeko did not die instantly and as she followed up to the
scene of the massacre the next day with government forces, Nyeko lay on the
ground still unconscious. “We found him still alive but when he asked for water
and took it, he died immediately,” Akwero recalls with strains of pain on her
face.
Memories of this dark day continue to haunt Akwero as she describes her
deceased son as a talented footballer. Indeed before meeting his death, Nyeko
was abducted along other Atyak Technical School students while playing
football, she adds. While in the bush and after the massacre, Akwero recalls
Otti ordering survivors to clap for what had happened.
Days later, the bodies were hastily buried by volunteers under the supervision
of former Atiak sub-county chairman Massimo Odida. “Bodies of our children and
people we loved were like a heap of potatoes and this still comes in my mind,
especially when I walk across Olya school compound and see pupils. I feel that
my son would be helping me now if he had not died,” Ms Akero regrets.
To Akwero the perpetrators of the Atyak massacre should be brought to book for
their human rights abuses. “Why should they walk free? They killed people
deliberately and if they are ready to ask for mercy I will forgive them,” she
adds.
Justice and peace in northern Uganda still remains a big dilemma among victims
of grave human rights abuses. Akwero who lost her husband four years ago to
HIV/Aids focuses on retribution, a social justice of home building and
education for her children. “Let the government build for us houses, give us
heifer cows to help us also feel like human beings and resettle in our homes
well,” she says.
Another survivor, Mr Samuel Ocaya was abducted by his uncle Mr Sabino Luka
Ladur who was among Otti’s group. He says the rebels told them that they had
brought death onto themselves because they had decided to live near the army
barracks. He says when the rebels struck, all the houses were set on fire,
barracks over run, and several soldiers killed.
“When my uncle saw me, he moved me close to him to protect me, but he ordered
us to lie down; we thought he would only cane us but we heard Otti ordering him
to shoot us,” Ocaya narrates. Mr Ocaya suffered gun bullets through his ribs,
thigh and legs as a result.
He says those released were pregnant mothers and young children. Ocaya is among
the five survivors of the massacre and the only one left in a family of five.
His wife Ms Doreen Adoch was also killed in the incident. To Ocaya , the annual
prayer in memory of the Atiak massacre is just another traumatic experience.
“This day sends a bitter memory that lasts two weeks in my mind. Prayer is not
bad in itself but revealing our stories should be stopped,” the victim argues.
Former state minister for pacification of northern Uganda Betty Bigombe who
attended the commemoration prayer said never again should such incidents be
allowed to happen. “It’s disappointing that local defence unit soldiers did not
protect the population and it’s regrettable,” Ms Bigombe said.
In 2004, Daily Monitor carried an article in which Bigombe accused government
forces of abandoning the internally displaced people, an accusation the army
denied. As residents continue to commemorate the Atiak massacre, the survivors
want to know how such events will transform their lives. But, they are
certainly united by the universal experience of suffering caused by the violent
conflict.
>From the skulls of the Luweero Triangle to the Tanzanian military’s march
>through Masaka to the devastation still eminent in northern Uganda, no corner
>has been left untouched. Critics now argue that the challenge - and the
>opportunity - for the leaders of this country is to connect the population
>around their shared suffering and use it as a basis for a new era of unity,
>peace, and development. This should come in the form of better roads, health
>units, poverty eradication and education among others.
Stay in the forum for Series two hundred and thirty four on the way ------>
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"
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