{UAH} IDDI AMIN NEVER TARGETED LANGIs/ACHOLIs, THEY TARGETED HIM {---Series Seventy-Three}

Friends

 

In the so many studies made about Acholi violence, we need to  read these testaments to understand what these friends are capable to bring to their very own people.  This is a study that was made by The United Nation, under a heading "Victims 'perception of accountability Reconciliation and transitional justice in Northern Uganda" Although this was funded by The UN but it was written and supervised by The University of Ulster. Friends read about the feelings of the people, and on both sides the government side how it tourchered them but how Acholi really traumatized fellow Acholi, then wonder what they do when they go into an area of none Acholi. In this posting it touches also on what they did in Teso. In Amuria as an example,  Acholi were marrying girls at age 10.  We are posting from page 11.

 

Friends we need to start discussing Acholi violence candidly.

 

Nature and Impact of Harms

"I was abducted in 1995. My biggest problem was walking very long distances without water or rest. I was made to babysit another

woman's child. The mother of that baby became my co-wife. I gave birth to two children while in the bush. I drank urine a number

of times because there was nothing to drink and we would force others to urinate in order for us to have something to drink. I was

carrying guns on my shoulders, beans on my head and my child on my back moving towards Katakwi when I got wounded due to

a bomb blast thrown by an aeroplane. This was when I escaped. When I returned home, I found both my parents dead. Now I am

on my own. I am the father, mother, brother and sister of my family." (A former female abductee - Amuru District, Acholiland)

 

"The LRA threw my two children into a fire. One of the kids died and the other burned her head as she jumped out of the fire

and tried to escape." (A victim of violence - Lira District, Lango)

 

"The killings were carried out by those struggling for power. It has brought much suffering to all of us here. Because of the

rebels, we have suffered killings, abduction and looting, but the UPDF has also done the same. The two groups must change their

attitudes towards the civilians; they must see us as human beings. They must give us respect."

(A grassroots leader - Amuru District, Acholiland)

 

"The war has caused the spread of many guns in the community. The soldiers and Arrow Boys should be disarmed. This causes a

lot of fear in the community." (A victim of economic loss – Amuria District, Teso)

 

"I was shot and I continued running even as they ordered, 'Shoot!' I was shot in the breast, but I ran and hid in the bush far away

from them." (A female victim of violence - Lira District, Lango)

 

"The conflict has caused families to break up because people were confined into camps where there was a lot of immorality."

(A relative of a deceased - Amuria District, Teso)

 

"I was abducted with my children; the boys were tied up with ropes and were seriously beaten. One of them was later axed and

they ordered my grandfather's death. They then brought razors and inflicted cuts on all our ears and if my small baby had cried,

they would have killed her." (A victim of violence with a disability - Amuru District, Acholiland)

 

"In 1986, I saw some rebels from a distance while I was in my garden. I tried to follow them so that I would go and tell the soldiers

about their location, but unfortunately I stepped on a landmine and lost one leg. Now I use sticks to walk. I cannot even dig or

protect myself from violence. I also lost my daughter in 1994 and up until now I know nothing of her whereabouts – if she is alive

or not. It causes too much pain when I think of her." (A victim of violence with a disability - Pader District, Acholiland)

 

"Our wives were taken away to become the wives of soldiers. My two sisters who were married at the time were forcefully taken

away to become Government soldiers' wives. Rebels also took our sisters and made them wives."

(A male victim of economic loss - Kitgum District, Acholiland)

 

"I am a widow now because my husband was killed in one of the rebel attacks and I have many challenges and pains trying to raise

my children. I am a single, frustrated widow and I cannot even morally shape them." (A widow - Amuru District, Acholiland)

 

"I was caught in a battle between the LRA and the UPDF, which made me flee and leave my cows. The LRA abducted my children

and up until now they have not returned." (A parent of abductees - Amuria District, Teso)

 

"Girls as young as 10 years get married as a way of increasing family wealth." (A youth - Amuria District, Teso)

 

"I was abducted together with my whole family. We were tortured and as a result, some died. Later, we were released but our homes

were burned. All of us who survived had serious injuries. Now I get medical help from Voice of Peace. I am a very weak woman.

I cannot even farm to provide food for my children. As a result, they have also dropped out of school. I feel so bad to see my

remaining children growing up in such a strange life." (A victim of violence - Amuru District, Acholiland)

 

"My brother was hurt by a landmine during the liberation war. This has caused me to live in fear of even cultivating my garden."

(A male victim of economic loss - Kitgum District, Acholiland)

 

"When we left our home, diseases such as cholera and HIV/AIDS started to spread. The Government is trying to control it but it

has killed so many people." (A relative of a murder victim -Pader District, Acholiland)

 

"There is high insecurity in the area because the Arrow Boys who are seen to provide security have deserted their jobs because they

do not get paid." (A relative of murder victim - Amuria District, Teso)

 

"I was abducted by the LRA at the age of 20. Later I tried to escape but was caught. The commander ordered my killing, but my

other friends pleaded for me. I was instead beaten severely as a punishment. One time, I was made to beat my friend to death and

up until now, her spirit haunts me. I live because I cannot kill myself. (A former female abductee - Pader District, Acholiland)

 

"Witchcraft and theft are on the increase. This is a bad practice in the community."

(A person that suffered economic loss - Amuria District, Teso)

 

"My younger sister and I were both abducted by the rebels. My husband and other family members were all killed and now I have

a child with the man who raped me. My ears were all cut. When the wind blows, I cannot hear anything. This is the life I live now

yet I have children that I am supposed to raise. I am such a miserable woman and widow."

(A victim of violence with a disability - Amuru District, Acholiland)

 

"The war has caused permanent fear because Kony has not surrendered to the UPDF." (An Arrow Boy - Amuria District, Teso)

 

"I lost almost all my property because the rebels looted it. Afterwards, the Government forces came and beat me. They administered

forty stokes on me, demanding that I tell them where the rebels had gone because they thought I was collaborating with the rebels.

My child was also abducted that same week." (A widow and member of a community-based organisation - Pader District, Acholiland)

 

"Food is insufficient due to continuous raids by both the Karimojong and the LRA rebels." (A youth - Lira District, Lango)

 

"There are so many cases of defilement in the camps. Children are involved in sex before getting married and this is so common

here." (A former abductee - Pader District, Acholiland)

 

"There were four UPDF soldiers who and threatened to kill me if I reported it. I was frightened and I did not report it."

(A victim of gender-based violence - Gulu District, Acholiland)

 

"In 1988 my shop was looted. Two years later the LRA rebels abducted me, my children and my wife. My wife was then raped.

Later in 1994, my house was burned, and my property looted." (A grassroots leader - Kitgum District, Acholiland)

 

"Family conflicts and divorce have increased. There is a high increase in HIV/AIDS infection in the camps. This is caused by the

soldiers who are deployed in the area." (A victim of economic loss - Amuria District, Teso)

 

"Both the Government and LRA came and caused us problems. Sometimes the LRA came to conduct their operations, followed

by the UPDF. The Government forces are currently raping our children. They had unnatural sex with other men. They take our

children from school and take our daughters." (A victim of violence - Gulu District, Acholiland)

 

"My education has been interrupted because I was abducted by the LRA. All the time I was in captivity, I was not able to study.

Therefore all the people I used to stay with have studied at higher levels and I have not been given the chance to catch up to them."

(A former abductee - Pader District, Acholiland)

 

"There are now many single-headed families." (A member of a community-based organisation - Amuria District, Teso)

 

"We do not have access to social services including health, accommodation and water. All these things have been destroyed by the

rebels when the conflict started. Services cannot be brought here because the Government believes us to be too remote."

(A former abductee - Pader District, Acholiland)

 

"Our daughters were abducted and raped in the bush. They gave birth to children who have no clan and when they return without

the father of these children, they lack financial support and become destitute." (A former male abductee - Lira District, Lango)

"We experienced many killings that were ordered by the LRA commanders. They would ask some of the captives to kill their

colleagues who tried to escape, as a lesson to others who may have the same intention of escaping. Some of our people died when

they encountered the UPDF soldiers, while others sustained serious injuries from stray bullets."

(A former abductee - Gulu District, Acholiland)

 

"I feel very bad because I lost my home and land and now I am displaced to another person's land. I have no access to my farmland.

Poverty has become our friend. In addition to that, there is much congestion in the camp and we now are very vulnerable to

diseases, especially HIV/AIDS. Illiteracy is also a problem. My daughter and I have a life which is not good at all."

(A victim of violence - Pader District, Acholiland)

 

"My husband was killed and my child was shot in the legs. His legs had to be amputated."

(A parent of an abductee - Lira District, Lango)

 

"I am an orphan and as a child who heads his family, I find it difficult to find the means to send my siblings to school."

(A victim of economic loss - Kitgum District, Acholiland)

 

"Children became unruly because the elders who could instill good morals in the children were killed by the LRA."

(A victim of violence - Amuria District, Teso)

 

"We have had problems for 21 years. As youths we did not have an education. I am 21-years-old and I received no education since

the war started, just like many others in northern Uganda. We studied in the camps but that was not really education because we

were always sick. We have no basic knowledge and we cannot read and write." (A youth - Lira District, Lango).

"I fear anybody in uniform and I get frightened if a person bumps into me. This is due to the fear of LRA abductions."

(A former abductee - Lira District, Lango)

 

"My wife and child were shot. My child survived but my wife did not. One of my children also died when our hut burned. The

child who was shot was taken to hospital where a woman looks after her. They need things at the hospital which I am unable to

provide." (A male victim of violence - Lira District, Lango)

 

"When we were abducted, we drank urine since water points were guarded by Government soldiers. When we were moving, we

were not allowed to stop to urinate or defecate, otherwise we were killed. Thus, people were forced to urinate and defecate on

themselves as they travelled along." (A former male abductee - Lira District, Lango)

 

"In 2003, the rebels looted the goats that my wife was taking to hide. As we were running away from the rebels they also raped

her." (A grassroots leader - Kitgum District, Acholiland)

 

"When the conflict intensified, all the roads were blocked. While in the camps, soldiers did not allow us to move freely in the night

when we wanted to ease ourselves. Sanitation was poor because we did not have proper latrines to use."

(A male youth - Lira District, Lango)

 

"When we decided to organise prayers to remember the deceased, our relatives travelling from elsewhere were stopped from

attending by [name of a local official withdrawn]. This was done by the Government soldiers."

(A member of a community-based organisation - Oyam District, Lango)

 

"I was abducted in 1999 and forcefully given as a wife to a man old enough to be my father. I was subjected to a lot of violence

and torture. I was also starved for many days while in Sudan. As a result, I am now weak and cannot do certain things, even fetch

firewood. The hospital also detected a bullet still located in my thigh." (A former female abductee - Amuru District, Acholiland)

 

"The rebels shot many people and destroyed the legs of many people, especially those who were riding bicycles. We the able men

and women were ordered to carry the crippled ones." (A victim of economic loss - Kitgum District, Acholiland)

 

"We the Langi did not have soldiers deployed to our region for a long time. Later only 15 Amuka soldiers were deployed, and they

were supposed to fight against about 200 rebels. They were not sufficient to protect us. Some people were killed and their relatives

thought that fellow brothers were directing the rebels to them. Yet it was a problem of insufficient deployment. What annoyed us

even more during that time was that the Government said that 'Kony's war' is a war between brothers, which made us believe that

they did not want to intervene even though we were experiencing so much suffering." (A male youth - Lira District, Lango)

 

"The following day, we were made to bury the dead. When we became tired and tried to rest, soldiers started beating us and forced

us to continue burying. We were made to put mud blocks on the corpses so as to make the work faster, denying the dead and their

loved ones the chance of a decent burial." (A male victim of violence - Lira District, Lango)

 

"There is no peace since people are still confined in overcrowded camps. Diseases increased due to the concentration of persons

in camps and poor balanced diets. This causes many children to die of malnutrition. People became individualistic as many people

developed an attitude of self-centeredness. The abductions of children caused trauma which resulted in sickness."

(A member of a community-based organisation - Amuria District, Teso)

 

"Moving in and out of camps was very difficult at the time of the LRA incursion. It prohibited business and other things."

(A grassroots leader - Amuria District, Teso)

 

"In our village, we experienced a problem of contaminated water because dead bodies were thrown into the water source. When

the soldiers who were deployed in the field went to fetch water, they pumped the hair of deceased persons along with water. When

we the residents of the area started to return from the camps to the villages, we pumped water and filthy substances came out

together with the water. Upon opening the borehole, we discovered dead bodies inside."

(A relative of a murder victim - Amuria District, Teso)

 

"There are a high number of drunkards in the IDP camps. This is due to the fact that people are not occupied by any productive

activity that could be a way to fight their boredom." (A former abductee - Amuru District, Acholiland)

 

"Many elders are going to die because they are subjected to heavy workloads. They are not supposed to do such work but they have

to because there are no other able persons to help them." (A victim of economic loss - Amuria District, Teso)

 

"Human rights abuses are mainly committed by the UPDF. The LRA do not rape women, it is the UPDF, and therefore the

Government and the UN must put in place strict laws to stop the human rights abuses and oppression."

(A grassroots leader - Amuru District, Acholiland)

 

"Many of my children dropped out of school because my source of income was sabotaged. Many of my sons were abducted and

up until now one of them is not back." (A member of a community-based organisation - Amuria District, Teso)

 

"Families have been broken because of difficulties in obtaining food. Women are forced to go with other men to put some food

on the family table." (A grassroots leader - Amuria District, Teso)

 

"The spread of HIV/AIDS infections is as a result of a high influx of the UPDF in the area. People in the camp became involved

in prostitution in order to earn a leaving. There is also a problem of many divorces." (A victim of violence - Amuria District, Teso)

 

"There is moral degeneration in the camp and this is why the children do not have any respect for the elders as children had in

the past. It is also because the parents are not the providers anymore. It is the NGOs and other humanitarian actors who are now

our providers. Our parents are too poor to afford food, clothes and other basic needs. Therefore, the children look at them as not

really important in the society." (A former abductee - Amuru District, Acholiland)

 

"Some people are left without a decent burial because they were abducted and killed in distant places where it is very difficult to

recover their bodies." (A victim of violence - Amuria District, Teso)

 

"We are living in constant fear because we think that we could be abducted and harmed by those who committed atrocities in the

region." (A victim of economic loss - Pader District, Acholiland)

 

"They abducted my wife and me. My wife was killed that very day. I am now confined to the IDP camp in Amuria District, Teso. My two

children were abducted. One has come back but the other, not yet." (A widower and father of an abductee - Amuria District, Teso)

 

"Poverty has become my brother. I cannot run away from it. This is all because of this war."

(A victim of violence - Amuru District, Acholiland)

 

"The LRA abducted my two children and killed my wife. This caused me to come to an IDP camp but this led to famine. Many

children in the camp eat dogs and lizards. My children who returned from the bush are now mentally disturbed."

(A widower and father of former abductees - Amuria District, Teso)

 

"I am now disabled. My arm is damaged because of the way I was tied up with a rope while in the bush. Now, I can only use my

left hand to do almost everything because of this torture. I am now a very poor, unhappy man with limitations on what work I can

do." (A parent of an abductee, who also suffered from a disability - Amuru District, Acholiland)

 

"The UN should focus on people's suffering so that they use the findings to communicate with Kony and convince him to listen

to the voices of the suffering people. (A wife of a soldier - Kitgum District, Acholiland)

 

"My husband was killed leaving me with six children. I am given no help to raise my children. The children cry because they are

hungry, but there is no food and we also do not have medicines. You have to beg neighbors to feed your children. I cannot be

helped now that my husband has been killed." (A widow - Amuria District, Teso)

 

"Young girls are abducted and given to the rebels as wives. When they return, the community points a finger at them since in most

cases they come back with children." (An internally displaced person - Gulu District, Acholiland)

 

"Men were more at risk because once taken by the LRA, the LRA had no mercy on them, except to kill them."

(A youth - Amuria District, Teso)

 

"When there is a war or an attack, women always give up their lives for their children and they also take responsibility for defending

the family by pleading." (A widow and member of a community-based organisation - Pader District, Acholiland)

 

"Children have been severely affected by the conflict because they have been the main target of the rebels. They are abducted and

not released and so they form the bulk of the LRA. The adults are not the primary targets of abduction. On many occasions, the

adults are permitted to go back home but a child is not allowed to go back home." (A former abductee - Gulu District, Acholiland)

 

"I say that girls have suffered the most because when we were abducted, we were seriously tortured, raped by different men old enough

to be our parents and we ended up with fatherless children when we returned home." (A female former abductee - Gulu District, Acholi)

 

"Women suffered because many times their husbands ran away ahead of them or were killed, leaving them to look after the family.

Yet many of them are not in a position to do so." (A male youth - Lira District, Lango)

 

"Children, both boys and girls who are abducted and trained to become militias, are the main victims."

(A former male abductee - Lira District, Lango Main)

 

"Child-headed families were usually asleep when the rebels attacked so they were abducted. There was no one to wake them up."

(A member of the LDU - Kitgum District, Acholiland)

 

"What is very painful is the suffering of women. They have to make sure that their children are not abducted and as a result,

they end up being abducted, killed and on many occasions raped by the UPDF."

(The relative of a murder victim - Gulu District, Acholiland)

 

"The aim of the LRA incursions in Teso was to abduct children because children are easily trained and their minds easily changed.

(A youth - Amuria District, Teso)

 

"When I returned from the bush, I had terrible wounds on my leg, which does not allow me to move over a long distance.

In the bush, I had become pregnant at a very early age - 11 years. The doctor advised me never to produce children again."

(A female victim of violence - Amuru District, Acholiland)

 

"As young women we have suffered most and are the most vulnerable because we are the last to run when the rebels invade a

village because we remain behind to make sure that the children run to safety and avoid abduction by the rebels. Children who are

orphaned are mistreated and sometimes their foster parents rape the girls and abuse and over work the boys.

(A female former abductee - Lira District, Lango)

 

"There is high rate of immorality within the camp. Even women have taken to drinking alcohol in order to nurse their frustrations.

This has made very many women lead useless lives today." (A female victim of physical violence - Amuru District, Acholiland)

 

"A number of women have mental illnesses as a result of the torture and beatings we suffered when we were abducted by the LRA.

Most of us have physical disabilities and this has affected our capacity, so much so that our lives at some level have less meaning."

(A female victim of physical violence - Amuru District, Acholiland).

 

Stay in the forum for Series seventy four on the way   ------>

EM

On the 49^th 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"