Category Archives: Media

West Nile Documentation, October 2010

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From October 18-21, JRP’s Research, Documentation and Advocacy Team paid another visit to the West Nile sub-region, visiting Arua town. There, JRP met with representatives of the West Nile Kony Rebel War Victims Association and various other victims from the region to learn about their experiences during the conflict and post-conflict struggles.

Though largely overlooked by most NGOs and the Government, the suffering of West Nile over the last two decades has proved to be serious. While Acholi sub-region formed the epicenter of the war, West Nile suffered its own share of violence over the last thirty years, as various rebel groups have operated in the region.

Many of the survivors we interviewed lost virtually all their means of sustenance in ambushes on the Kampala-Arua Road, and still nourish the trauma of the abductions that oftentimes followed. The West Nile Kony Rebel War Victims Association has made a series of attempts to draw attention to their case, but this has not yet materialized in substantial governmental support. Occasionally government representatives have paid compensation to individual victims, but a transparent and inclusive policy is still lacking.

Though this naturally frustrates the members of the association, the participants expressed a strong desire not to give up their fight for accountability and reparations. They took a very positive stance towards working together with JRP. JRP will therefore continue documenting their experiences and assist in their future advocacy and mobilization efforts.

“There are more than 13 who fought for peace in the north,” New Vision, 27 October 2010

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“There are more than 13 who fought for peace in the north,” New Vision, 27 October 2010

http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/459/736281/there%20are%20more%20than%2013%20who%20fought%20for%20peace

By Lino Owor Ogora

 

IN September, the New Vision ran a story about 13 people who had been honoured for their contribution to bringing peace in northern Uganda.

These people are: Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, Steven Kagoda, Betty Bigombe, Gen. Katumba Wamala, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura, Archbishop John Baptist Odama, Bishop Zack Niringiye, Omukama of Bunyoro Solomon Iguru, Angella Katatumba, Richard Ocici, Edward Kigongo, Moses Bamuze and Francisca Akello.

We are not aware of the criteria that was used to select these people, but I would like to say, there were some people who deserved recognition, but were left out.

These include; Bishop Macleod Baker Ochola, the retired Bishop of Kitgum; Sheikh Musa Khelil and Bishop Nelson Onono Onweng.

They also include the founders of the Acholi Religious Leaders’ Peace Initiative. This was one of the first organisations to advocate blanket amnesty in northern Uganda.

Others are cultural leaders like Rwot David Onen Achana, the Emorimor of Teso, the King of the Alur and the Won Nyaci of Lango.

More so, why were the peace negotiators on the LRA side not recognised?

Could Dr. Rugunda have negotiated without the other side?

Where are the other prominent politicians, such as Gulu chairman Nobert Mao, Reagan Okumu and Col. Walter Ochora, who were involved in the peace negotiations.

I, therefore, call upon the national platform for peace building to think more broadly beyond the 13 people, who were recognised.

They also need to make public with the criteria they used to select these ‘achievers’.

It would also be good for the public to be told why such people are being recognised, and what their contribution was.

Finally, there is need for more consultation with the victims of the war in northern Uganda to ensure that the peace ‘achievers’ who get awarded, are also known, and appreciated by the survivors of the war.

The writer is the team leader for research, advocacy and documentation at the Justice and Reconciliation Project in Gulu

“New Hope for Northern Ugandans Seeking Reparations from Government” Ugandansabroad, 13 October 2010

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“New Hope for Northern Ugandans Seeking Reparations from Government” Ugandansabroad, 13 October 2010

http://ugandansabroad.org/2010/10/13/new-hope-for-northern-ugandans-seeking-reparations-from-the-government/

 By Samuel Ouga

 

KAMPALA, Uganda–

A team of researchers and lawyers will offer free legal services to thousands of survivors and victims of war conflicts in northern Uganda that are seeking reparations from the government.

The team, part of the network of the Northern Uganda Transitional Justice Working Group, hopes to help the victims demand compensation without any fear.

One of these lawyers is Charles Toolit Atiya, the coordinator of the group and a human rights lawyer.

“It’s obvious that after the wars, the structures, pillars and elements of justice got eroded like any other sector,” he told Ugandans Abroad. “Police work was objurgated to the military.”

The group is a large network of 120 organizations in Teso, Lango, Acholi, and West Nile regions.

Collectively, they hope to promote post-conflict justice mechanisms among survivors.    Many hope the government will compensate them for the destruction of their communities, the loss of their relatives’ lives, and disabilities they acquired during the war.

The survivors include those from massacres in Atyak, Mucwini, Mukura, and in West Nile. During the Atyak massacre alone, more than estimated 250 people were killed. Many want the government to also compensate them for when the UPDF occupied their land during the insurgencies.

The group recently set up a survivors’ membership desk, which helps them register their concerns for redress, as well as document their experiences from the conflict.  Atiya would like Ugandans in the diaspora to know that as much as government stepped in to re-establish the pillars of justice in the war-ravaged regions, a lot has to be done in settling offences and damages from recent conflicts.

One major problem is that survivors who are rewarded damages by the Uganda Human Rights Commission die before getting their benefits from the government, and face serious delays in the reparation process.

“We shall work days and nights to ensure that this process is expedited and made shoryer to serve the interests of the victims,” Atiya said.

Lino Owor Ogora, the research and advocacy team leader for the Justice and Reconciliation Project,  which is part of the larger network, told Ugandans Abroad that although guns have gone silent, war is not over for the victims.

“There are overwhelming demands for reparations by survivors and victims of the conflicts,” he said.   According to Ogora, the survivors of the 1989 massacre, have not been compensated by the government.

“In the West Nile, [the] Kony massacre survivors’ association also want compensation from the government,” he said. Many victims of the wars want to know how their friends and family died. Traditional justice can also help in settling some of the conflicts in the villages, which the organizations in the network can help facilitate.

Unfortunately, many of the survivors lack the financial resources and media coverage to pursue justice, since they are primarily impoverished relatives of those who were massacred, or victims trying to live with bullet wounds and amputated limbs.

Free legal services can be an important step in the right direction, since successfully seeking reparations is an expensive and time-consuming undertaking. Victims need support.

“These are not just straightforward cases,” said Toolit. “They are complicated and need a lot of research. And one of our fears is that of intimidation of the victims.”

The network is also pushing for a special reparation program to be created in northern Uganda to address the post-conflict needs of the region, and hope it can be coordinated with those seeking justice for war survivors in other parts of the country.

Samuel Ouga is a Ugandans Abroad reporter based in Kampala, Uganda.

Survivor Groups’ Advocacy Training, 30 September 2010

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In order to mobilise survivor groups to lobby and advocate for issues that affect them, JRP organised a training workshop on basic advocacy skills for 24 representatives of survivor/victim groups from northern Uganda.

The representatives came from five massacre sites across the region, including:

  • Abia, Alebtong district, Lango sub-region
  • Atiak, Amuru district, Acholi sub-region
  • Lukodi, Gulu district, Acholi sub-region
  • Mucwini, Kitgum district, Acholi sub-region
  • Mukura, Kumi district, Teso sub-region

The workshop, held from September 28-30 at the Sports View Garden Inn in Gulu, had objectives to empower survivor/victim groups with necessary skills in advocacy and lobbying and to develop advocacy strategies and plans for their specific groups. Over the course of three days, each group identified and analyzed pressing issues facing victims and survivors in their communities and then developed an advocacy plan to remedy the problem.

In addition, the training gave each of the attendees the opportunity to interact with others who have survived similar atrocities and to share experiences and solutions. It also provided an opportunity for groups’ ideas to be heard beyond the workshop. News pieces on the advocacy training ran on both Mega FM and Radio King.

Lukodi Documentation, September 2010

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From August 30 to September 4, JRP documented the Lukodi massacre that took place on May 19, 2004, in Lukodi, Bungatira sub-county, Gulu district. During this time, our documentation team interviewed more than 20 community members living in Lukodi who either had knowledge of or were survivors of the massacre.

Preliminary findings indicate that Lukodi, like many other massacre sites in northern Uganda, continues to suffer the long-term effects of the conflict, with victims in dire need of psychosocial support and peace-building interventions.

The data gathered during this period is currently in the write-up stage and will be released in the form of a JRP field note by the end of the year.

Anaka Community Dialogue, 25 September 2010

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JRP, in conjunction with radio station Mega Fm, held a community dialogue in Anaka sub-county, Nwoya district, on September 25. The dialogue’s theme, “Casting the Ballot to Address Victimhood: A Call to Put Transitional Justice on the Election Agenda,” correlated with JRP’s special campaign on the same topic.

During the dialogue, the six main points for the campaign were discussed with the community members, and local candidates were asked to make commitments to ensure that TJ issues relevant to their communities are addressed in their manifestos.

The dialogue was attended by more than 100 community members, including the L.C. I and L.C. II chairmen of the area who gave the opening remarks. Rosalba Oywa, permanent member of Mega Fm’s ‘Te-Yat’ programme, and Lindsay McClain, representative from JRP, served as panelists.

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

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“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.