MEMORIALIZATION - A PILLAR OF UNITY AND HOPE TO VICTIMS OF THE LRA INCURSION IN OBALANGA

On 15 June 2003, the once peaceful community of Obalanga in the newly created district of Kapelebyong in the greater Northern Uganda came under the attack of rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).  This began months long of rebel activity in the area of Obalanga and the environs of Teso in which the people were held under siege as the rebels, killed, looted and abducted people at will. Within a short period of time, hundreds of people were killed, and relatives and community members had little choice but to bury their loved ones numbering up to 365 in a mass grave.

Each year, on 15 June the anniversary of the first attack, residents of Teso converge at Obalanga Sub-County at the site of the mass grave to commemorate the day in the form of prayers. FJDI over the past years has not only supported the community in aspects of advocacy and documentation of their war narratives, but has also joined them in the memorialization of the day. This year’s event was attended by community elders, relatives of victims, survivors, local government officials, representatives of NGOs and CSOs.

The ceremony included a prayer service animated by the Church of Uganda, speeches by the local organising committee, testimonies from the survivors and also remarks from representatives of the local government and supporting NGOs. The general message was one of forgiveness, unity and hope. Furthermore, students from schools within Kapelebyong district performed songs and poems on themes that centred on keeping alive the memories of the sad events, love, hope and a better future.

Speaking to Achila Simon a member of the local organising committee, he said that the commemoration of this day was very important in that it does not only allow them to remember and pray for their loved ones but also helps foster unity within the community. He furthered that the sermons and speeches delivered also help to pacify and give hope to the survivors and relatives of the departed.

Amoding Betty a survivor and widow whose husband lost his life in the hands of the LRA lamented on the pain, sorrow and trauma she has been suffering over the years. She indicated the memorial service not only enables her to pray for her husband but also enables her to recognise that she is not alone in her sorrow, which gives her strength and hope.

The FJDI team also took the opportunity to interact with survivors to seek their opinion on holding a unilateral memorial service throughout the greater northern Uganda as opposed to different communities holding it at different places at different times. FJDI continues to be committed in its objectives of advocating for appropriate policies on democracy, governance, justice and development, the promotion of social economic empowerment for vulnerable individuals, groups and communities and to conduct research on relevant justice and development issues crucial to national debates and policies.

Witness Gives Account of Pajule Attacks and Brief Ongwen Interactions

On June 6, 2019, a former LRA captive came before the ICC and gave a chilling account of his experience being abducted, his time in the IDP camps, and a brief account of his time with the LRA, including interactions with Dominic Ongwen. The hearing was interrupted due to technical difficulties and health concerns of the witness forcing the trial panel to postpone proceedings to the following day.

Ongwen is facing 70 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed between 2002-2005 in the camps of Odek, Pajule, Abok and Lukodi in Northern Uganda. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The witness was referred to as “Mr. Witness,” instead of his original name-one of the witness protection measures being used by the court. The former captive described how his primary school education was interrupted by the death of his father. Then, in 2002 when conflict in Acholiland was heightening, the government mandated that his community move to IDP camps in fear of the LRA. From the start, there was clear fear and threat experienced by Mr. Witness. The government even threatened at-risk people, saying they’d be considered rebels themselves if they didn’t move into the IDP camps within two to three weeks after initial warning. Along with fear of government and rebels, Mr. Witness also had to leave his crops at home, which were gone once he returned from captivity.

Mr. Witness described a difficult life in the IDP camp. The government did not provide medical facilities/services, and although they were eventually provided by NGO’s, the support was not sufficient; some people were helped, but health issues persisted nonetheless. Additionally, IDP residents were not allowed to roam about at night, with their curfew beginning at 8:00 PM, and lasting until around 7:00-8:00 AM. Mr. Witness made it clear that life in the IDP camp was of low quality, because if one was hungry or sick, there was usually nothing that could be done.

Mr. Witness said that, although UPDF and LDU soldiers were difficult to distinguish from each other because they were working to protect the people, it was not difficult to decipher who the LRA was once he saw them. The attack on the Pajule camp was warned about in 2003, on the evening of October 9th (Ugandan Independence Day). In the evening, Mr. Witness remembered the leaders of the camp warning residents to be vigilant that night, and to not drink recklessly, due to unclear security reasons. Mr. Witness was sleeping when, at dawn of October 10th, 2003, his door was kicked in by LRA rebels. He, along with many others, were abducted and forced to carry firearms for the rebels en route to their next location. All the while, many innocent IDP residents were caught in crossfire, and were injured and killed. Mr. Witness’ wife and child were also abducted, and he later found out that his child had to get his right arm amputated due to a bomb incident during the war.

  The LRA led Mr. Witness and other victims through the bush throughout the day, and they were being followed by a helicopter. Mr. Witness and the other victims were eventually sat down by Vincent Otti, who was well known and feared by many people in Acholiland. Otti made sure to tell the abductees that it was not their intention to kill civilians.

The witness also shared that Ongwen, referred to as “Odomi” during the trial, was the head of a group that requested Mr. Witness’s services for four to five days. This is when Mr. Witness interacted with Ongwen. Mr. Witness took note that Odomi seemed to have an injury in one of his legs or thighs. Mr. Witness also shared that he was not allowed to speak to Odomi unless Odomi requested to speak with him. Although Odomi was limping during this time, Mr. Witness says he did not use a cane or anything else to assist his walking.

The ICC has been livestreaming proceedings at http://player.cdn.tv1.eu/statics/66005/icc.html?loc=CR3 where people can follow live proceedings.