Transcript not available at this time.
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Newsletter: Updates from JRP, July 2010
July 2010
In This Issue:
- Latest Statement: Pursuing Justice for Women and Children
- In the News: In Memory of Mukura Victims
- JRP Launch Ceremony and Reception
- Sharing Stories of Survival: An Exchange with Choco, Colombia
- Community Dialogues in Abia and Lukodi
- Developing a Reconciliation Model in Lukodi
- On-going Documentation in Palabek
To view the newsletter, click here.
Attiak Community Dialogue, 22 August 2010
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JRP’s community mobilisation team organised one community dialogue this month in collaboration with radio station Mega FM. The event, held on August 22 in Atiak sub-county, Amuru district, engaged community members on issues of gender justice. Clips from the dialogue will air on Mega FM’s ‘Te-Yat’ programme on Saturday, September 18, from 10am to midday.
Over 200 community members attended the dialogue. In addition, panel participants included the L.C. V Councillor Gilbert Oulanya, renowned Gulu lawyer Komakech Henry Kilama, civil society representative Rosalba Oywa, and JRP representative Ketty Anyeko.
The major issue that emerged focused on the demand for compensation for the victims of the conflict, with specific reference to the survivors of the 1994 Atiak massacre. This demand for compensation has emerged as one of the major concerns for victims during all of the community dialogues that have been organised by JRP this year.
Specific to gender-related challenges, community members mentioned that many formerly-abducted young females who have remarried are still widely stigmatised, especially by the relatives-in-law. Issues related to victims of male rape (tek-gung) that occurred in Agung were also raised at the dialogue.
“Families of Mucwini victims want reparation,” Daily Monitor, 20 August 2010
“Families of Mucwini victims want reparation,” Daily Monitor, 20 August 2010
http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/980774/-/x3sbey/-/index.html
By James Eriku
Families who lost their dear ones in Mucwini massacre in Kitgum District at the peak of the Lord’s Resistance Army rebellion in 2002 have asked the government to consider compensating them for the loss.
The bereaved relatives said it is through compensation that they would feel government’s commitment in redressing the plight of children and women orphaned and widowed by the raid.
“We ask the government to join hands with the cultural institution to compensate the families of those who died, to foster reconciliation and healing,” a statement read by the victims during a memorial prayer at the weekend, reads in part.
In the early morning of July 24, 2002, the village witnessed one of the bloodiest attacks by the LRA on civilians when 56 people were massacred.
The women and children were massacred as a deliberate act of retaliation by the rebel outfit.
This is after they claimed that one of the sons of the village who had been abducted escaped and returned to the area with their gun.
The rebels allegedly rounded up the community and randomly selected some of the friends and family members to be murdered by axes, hand hoes, machetes and logs.
Unfair act
They said although they appreciate government’s efforts to compensate lives of people killed by the July 11, 2010 twin bomb blasts in Kampala and those killed in Mukura massacre in 1989, they are not happy that there is no attention directed to survivors of the massacre in Mucwini.
The most affected parishes in Mucwini by the LRA raids were; Pajong, Yepa, Pubec, Pudo, Ogwapoke, Agwoko, Akara and Bura.
Mucwini Massacre Memorial Service, NTV, 14 August 2010
Transcript not available at this time.
Mucwini Massacre Memorial Service, 14 August 2010
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The 8th Annual Mucwini Massacre Memorial Service was held on August 14 at Lagot Cogu Primary School in Kitgum district. JRP supported the planning of the event by the Mucwini Massacre Survivors Association.
Statement by the Mucwini Massacre Memorial Committee: In conjunction with the 8th Annual Mucwini Massacre Memorial Service
In the early morning hours of 24 July 2002, our villages awoke to the bloodied corpses of 56 innocentmen, women and children. The massacre was a deliberate and ruthless act of retaliation by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) after they claimed that one of our own members who had been abducted escaped with their gun. In cold blood, the rebels rounded up our community and randomly selected some of our friends and family members to be murdered by axes, hand hoes, machetes and logs. Some women among us were painfully forced to participate in clubbing to death their own children.
Eight years later, the person or persons responsible for the Mucwini massacre remains controversial, unresolved and unacknowledged. The massacre divided us and further fuelled longstanding conflict between the Pubec and Pajong over a piece of land where both parties claim ownership. As a result, the relatives of the alleged perpetuator still live in the camp, as they have been denied access to the said land. While the mediation team headed by the Rtd. Bishop McLeord Baker Ochola has tried to forge some kind of reconciliation among the alleged parties to this tension, most of us feel left out in the process as few families are being included. The families of the 56 people who died still live with immense trauma; psychosocial and physical difficulties; biting poverty; the burden of meeting the educational and basic needs of numerous orphans; and a generation of elderly who have no one to care for them, yet some have the responsibility to take care of orphans.
To access the statement, click here.
“Delay Forgiveness—LRA Victims,” New Vision, 1 August 2010
“Delay Forgiveness—LRA Victims,” New Vision, 1 August 2010
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/16/727574/Delay%20Forgiveness%E2%80%94LRA%20Victims
By Chris Ocowun
RESIDENTS of Lukodi parish, Bungatira sub-county in Gulu district have called for a delay in the reconciliation drive with the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) until rebel leader Joseph Kony comes out of the bush.
They said the Acholi traditional method of reconciliation (Mato-Oput) was supposed to take place between Kony and the Government.
Martin Lukwiya Ocam-Lenga wondered whom Kony would undergo the Mato-Oput with since President Yoweri Museveni was not an Acholi.
This was during a community dialogue organised by the Justice and Reconciliation Project on Friday at Lukodi Centre.
Gipson Okullu said: “Mato-Oput with the LRA rebels cannot stop justice from taking its course against some of the rebel leaders; they should be jailed to give relief to those whose people were massacred in the various areas in Acholi.”
The LRA rebels massacred more than 70 people at Lukodi in 2004.
Okullu added that there were some former LRA returnees, including his son, who were being haunted by the spirits of the people they killed.
He called for more traditional cleansing activities by Acholi elders and traditional leaders.
The project community mobilisation team leader, Sylvia Opinia, said similar dialogue had taken place in Atyak, Barlonyo, Mucwini and Abia.
Jane Francis Adongo of the Uganda Law Reform Commission said the commission was working towards exploring the use of traditional justice mechanisms to solve conflicts.
Official Remarks: Launch Ceremony and Reception
To celebrate JRP becoming an independent NGO and to officially launch the new organisation, we hosted a ceremony and reception on July 23 at our offices in Gulu’s Senior Quarters. The event — which was attended by the Ambassador of Norway, H.E. Bjørg S. Leite, Hon. Norbert Mao, members of the community, civil society and government representatives, cultural leaders, and many more– was lively and eventful. Bwola dancers from Ker Kwaro Acholi kicked off the event by performing Acholi traditional dances.
This document contains remarks by the following persons:
- Remarks by Programme Coordinator, Mr. Ojok Boniface
- Remarks by Board of Directors, Mr. Michael Otim, Chairman, JRP
- Remarks by Guest of Honor, H.E. Bjørg S. Leite, Ambassador of Norway
- Remarks by Liu Institute for Global Issues, Dr. Erin Baines
- Remarks Ms. Delis Palacios from the organization Adom in Choco, Colombia
- Remarks by Mr. Leyner Palacios from the organization Cocomacia in Choco, Colombia
- Remarks by Resident Judge, High Court of Gulu, Hon. Justice Remmy Kasule
- Remarks by Guest of Honor, Norbert Mao, LC V Chairman, Gulu District
To read the full remarks, click here.
JRP Launch Ceremony and Reception
To celebrate JRP becoming an independent NGO and to officially launch the new organisation, we hosted a ceremony and reception on July 23 at our offices in Gulu’s Senior Quarters. The event — which was attended by the Ambassador of Norway, H.E. Bjørg S. Leite, Hon. Norbert Mao, members of the community, civil society and government representatives, cultural leaders, and many more– was lively and eventful. Bwola dancers from Ker Kwaro Acholi kicked off the event by performing Acholi traditional dances. Brief remarks were made by:
- Mr. Lino Ogora, Master of Ceremonies
- Mr. Boniface Ojok, Programme Coordinator
- Mr. Michael Otim, Board Chairman
- H.E. Bjørg S. Leite, Ambassador of Norway, Guest of Honor
- Mr. Geoffrey Okello, Gulu District NGO Forum
- Dr. Erin Baines, Liu Institute for Global Issues
- Delis Palacios, Adom in Quibdo, Chuco, Colombia
- Leyner Palacios, Cocomacia in Quibdo, Chuco, Colombia
- Hon. Justice Remmy Kasule, Resident Judge, High Court of Gulu
- Hon. Santa Oketta, Gulu District Secretary for Community Development, Labor, Gender and Children
- Hon. Norbert Mao, Gulu District LC V Chairman, Guest of Honor
Remarks from select speakers can be accessed here.
Further enriching the evening, a poem to remember our sisters who died in captivity and a statement on women’s justice was read by women from our partner project with the Liu Institute for Global Issues, Ododo wa. After reading the statement, the women’s group Rwot Lakica performed a drama on women’s justice.
The evening concluded with dinner and a reception and performances by northern artistes Jeff Korondo and Jahria Okwera from the initiative Music for Peace.
The event allowed us to celebrate our past accomplishments, whilst marking the start of this new era for the Project. We would like to thank everyone who attended for sharing the special day with us.