{UAH} Dwaniro: The theatre of the liberation war - Special Reports
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In 1983, UNLA began an offensive against the rebels in Bulemezi county. By this time the rebels had a large number of civilians living with them.
"This how we managed to ensure that people got food," says Nume. "People were many so the high command sat and decided to send them to Lukoola."
There was still plenty of food in Dwaniro and the people who were fleeing from other places were warmly welcomed.
But a sudden influx of hungry people was too much for the kind population to bear.
"People starved to death. I saw women growing thin until they were as flat-chested as children."
"I was moving from one camp to another when I passed by a woman from Bulemezi with five children," Ssempebwa recalls.
"They were so hungry that they could not walk. The second time I passed, two of the children had died. I got my boys to take a roasted potato to her but when we reached them the woman, and another child had died. The youngest was still suckling her breast."
Ssempebwa says he was amazed when (Brig) Diba Sentongo informed him that his boys were eating bones.
"From the sound, it was like hyenas were scavenging. The boys had roasted the bones to soften them. I had a leather bag, which I cut up. For three days, we ate that bag. We agreed to eat the first soldier who fell into our ambush."
UNLA, encouraged by a successful offensive, pursued the rebels. Ssempebwa's home was attacked and in the confusion, his three year old daughter was left behind.
From their hiding place in the bush, the family watched the soldiers lighting a big fire.
"They threw her in the fire." For the first time since he began talking, Ssempebwa pauses to recollect himself. The pain has never healed.
"The Red Cross was stationed in Bukomero but soldiers would come to the civilians brave enough to line up for food and pick out those they considered collaborators," Nume narrates. "They would take them down to the swamps and kill them."
The UNLA never harmed a peasant they found digging, So, fearing to be found idle or escaping, people planted food from 6am to 6pm.
When the situation worsened, the rebels told civilians to move to safer places. But still, a large number followed the rebels across River Mayanja to Ngoma.
"There were only cows in Ngoma and they ate them all," says Nume. "In 1984, Museveni sent Major (Fred) Rwigyema to tell me to make an escape route in the swamps between Katwe Kanjiri and Buwundo, so that they could return to Dwaniro."
The food planted by the civilians before they escaped to Ngoma was ready for harvest.
"With 10 other fighters, we cleared about eight miles in the swamp using hoes, pangas, and slashers. It took us a week. Night and day we slashed the grass. When it became dark, we slept where we stood."
Among the 10 were Joseph Rwendire, Stephen Kabugo, and Kapalaga, all deceased. Others were Fred Mayanja, James Ruyangwe, and Michael Ruchimira.
"We cut the last strands of grass at 6pm and opened the route. When we peeped out, bullets flew past our heads. We ducked inside and sent a messenger to Ngoma."
For the second time, Dwaniro welcomed hundreds of starving people.
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