{UAH} IDDI AMIN NEVER TARGETED LANGIs/ACHOLIs, THEY TARGETED HIM {---Series eighty (A) }

Friends

 

Because it is important that we go slow at understanding the Acholi violence, we are going to dedicate the next four series to the children that were kidnaped by Acholi. Let us read them slowly and use our children as the face telling these stories. We are going to start with Sarah's story. Sarah an Acholi girl, was interviewed by  Médecins Sans Frontières when she arrived to Pabo camp. Read these kids telling to realize why it is important for all Ugandans to understand the danger in Acholi violence.

 

Friends we need to start discussing Acholi violence but candidly.

 

Agnes' story

 

Agnes is 23 years old and lives in Pader Town Council, a protected village created in

2002 on order of the government, which currently hosts some 24,000 people. She lives

there with her mother, her 9-months old child, and her siblings and stepsiblings from her

father's other wives. A total of 19 people. She is the head of the household, as she is

the oldest and her mother's frail health cannot cope with the load.

Born in the village of Olam, twelve kilometres from Pader town, the last time Agnes was

at home together with her entire family was in September 2001. She was on leave from

college in Gulu, where she studied Arts. One night during dinner, the LRA entered

Agnes' house looking for her father. Since he was not at home, they beat her mother to

near-death and abducted Agnes and her sister. Her seven-year-old brother was left

behind to serve as witness of the event.

Agnes was held in captivity and forcibly recruited by the LRA for eight months. She

describes the horror that started within the first two weeks of her captivity: "Because of

my level of education and because I could handle a gun I was promoted quickly. I was

ordered with others to beat and kill four people we met on the road. Later I was ordered

to kill one man and one young boy with a panga [machete]. The directive to kill civilians

came from the commander and along with the directive came a threat to my life, as I had

witnessed the brutal death of those who refused".

Being among the LRA, Agnes quickly learned that killing was a way to stay alive: "After I

had killed once, I didn't mind it. It is just part of what I did when I was with them. It was a

kind of magic that made me not to fear killing another human being. Killing in the end

became a survival tactic. As long as you killed; you saved your own skin. Killing made

me safe from the enemy —the UPDF, and from LRA too. Within the LRA, as long as you

were killing, that was the right thing and no one would touch you or bother you".

However, she now insists she does not have that feeling anymore. "As soon as I was

away from them that feeling went away", she says.

Agnes feels the worst part of the killings was when she had to kill people she knew: "It

was in September 2002 that I went to Olam primary school. I had been a primary student

there. I knew the headmaster. We demanded money from him. When he couldn't come

up with any we killed him. His death was a punishment for his lie. The group went on a

frenzy burning the building, books and taking all the iron sheets off of the top of the

building. The purpose of this destruction was to prevent development and learning".

During the time she spent with the LRA, Agnes was frequently a victim of sexual

violence: "Rape was a way of life for me. I was given a man and forced to have sex.

Although I never used any protection I never became pregnant or diseased".

In the end, she managed to escape: "Twice before I had tried but failed to get away.

Finally, in November 2002 during a battle between the UPDF and the LRA, I saw my

chance to escape. I did not tell anyone and slipped away alone when they were fighting.

The UPDF won the battle and I surrendered to the UPDF".

The very army Agnes had learned to fear and which she was taught to destroy was the

army she surrendered to in the end. "I was under interrogation by the army for several

days and then they said I could return home. I returned to my village. To my surprise I

found my mother alive. The last memory I had of my mother was a year earlier when

she lay unconscious on the floor after having been beaten. I had assumed she was dead. I also found that my sister who had been abducted with me had never returned

home. I knew then that I would never see my sister again. Others were leaving on

government orders beginning in 2002, but we (my mother, myself, and my five other

siblings) stayed in our family home until early 2003. The situation got worse with

frequent attacks and houses burnt, we finally left in such haste that we did not take any

of our belongings".

Arriving in Pader town, Agnes was immediately overwhelmed with the sheer numbers of

people that had already gathered there. Many had built semi-permanent structures

concentrated in the centre of the camp, which was deemed safest. "We had no choice

but to erect our hut in the periphery. We are now exposed to rebel raids at night and

fearful of being caught in cross fire."

Finding enough food to feed the family is a burden on Agnes' mind from dawn until dusk.

"We rely completely on food aid. There is never enough. It comes every two months and

then lasts for about two-three weeks. I have no other options for finding food or making

money. I cannot return to my garden. I cannot afford to rent a plot in the camp. Often the

only option is to eat one meal a day and go to bed hungry".

Water is also a worry. "When I first arrived I used a well outside of the camp. When I

went to collect water I was beaten by the soldiers. They said they were punishing me for

not abiding by the rules. Even with the new borehole, I go early in the morning and wait

half a day to get one or two jerry cans. I need ten jerry cans for my family. Most of the

time I can only collect two which is barely enough for cooking and drinking".

Lack of security is Agnes' main concern, and LRA incursions are frequent: "The worst

time is right after food distributions because they not only take the food but also take

people to carry the sacks with them. Usually those who are abducted return but there is

always the chance that they will not. Sometimes they come and take whatever little is in

the huts. In fact last week they stole maize and beans from a family near our hut". Even

if a special police force has recently been deployed, its ability to provide protection to the

population remains to be proven. Based on their experience of the government army,

many in the camp remain highly sceptical.

Beatings by the government soldiers remain a regular phenomenon, especially for those

outside their huts after the 8 pm curfew. "Nights are scary as it is when the soldiers

come and look for women and girls so that they can take them back to their barracks

and rape them. Although it has never happened to me, soldiers have repeatedly

bothered my next-door neighbour even when her husband is around. They just kick her

husband out and take her to the barracks. There is no way to stop this practice. We are

scared that the soldiers will come back to beat us if we tell anyone, and the local

authorities are as fearful of the soldiers as we are".

Agnes is worried about being abducted by the LRA. She can't imagine living among the

LRA again. She is also afraid of the UPDF as they often accuse her of being a rebel

collaborator. There appears to be a general lack of trust between the UPDF and the

people: "If we give them information, then they think we are in contact with the rebels.

On the other hand, if we don't say anything they think we are hiding information from

them. We can not win either way, it seems we are constantly caught in the middle".

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"