Voices from the Ground Blog Posts
Last week, leaders from the Catholic and Anglican churches in areas of Sudan, Central African Republic, DR Congo, and Uganda affected by ongoing LRA violence met for the first time to chart out a common strategy for restoring peace.
At the conclusion of the three-day summit, the religious leaders published a joint statement, noting that “…the LRA is not only operational but is also reorganizing itself, opting for new strategies, transforming its identity in a group none the least different from a terrorist group, capable to destabilize countries of the region.”
In the past year, the LRA has specifically targeted a number of churches in its vicious attacks. Several churches have been burned down by rebel fighters while worshippers remained trapped inside.
This unprecedented meeting of regional religious leaders took place in Kisangani, a town in DR Congo very close to communities that are under attack by the LRA. The religious leaders committed themselves to providing a platform for mediation if LRA leaders ever wish to negotiate peaceful disarmament, and providing very specific requests for international leaders, including:
• To observe and beware of the illegitimate character of the war waved by the LRA whom have relinquished the struggle and armed opposition against the regime in place in their country of origin and to be aware of its consequences;
• Provide accrued humanitarian assistance to populations affected by the crimes and atrocities perpetrated by the LRA;
• To form a Contact Group made of representatives of the United Nations, African Union, USA, United Kingdom and from the four countries affected by the LRA phenomenon in order to elaborate a number of strategies, vital to sustainable peace in the regions;
• Ensure the availability of sufficient financial resources for the reconstruction of areas affected by the LRA;
• Ensure access and open up landlocked affected regions affected by the LRA to step up delivery of humanitarian assistance to displaced persons and victims; and
• To extend financial support to governments for the protection of civilian populations affected by the LRA, namely regarding United Nations Missions deployed in their respective countries.
Several weeks ago we posted reports of recent LRA raids from Sister Giovanna Calabria, a Comboni nun working with LRA-affected communities in the small town of Nzara, South Sudan. Last Monday Sister Giovanna wrote us again, with news of more rebel attacks. Read more below:
“Today, 14th November, at 10 a.m. I went to verify what happened the previous evening in Beremanga, the road going to Nasikisa. I saw the bodies of the 4 people killed by the LRA: Mr. Daniel Kpangakpo with his daughter Jeniti and Mr. Attilio Gadia (who was a worker at the complex) with his son, Atio.
After saying a prayer I was able to take a picture of Daniel and Jeniti. I could not do the same for Attilio and his son as their bodies were already wrapped in a blanket and being collected by the Ugandan soldiers to be taken to their Headquarters.
This is what happened through the words of Attilio’s wife who able to escape in the confusion -
It was 6 p.m. of Friday 13th November when six LRA, three of them holding a gun, came to the Attilio’s house led there by an abducted man. They asked for food and the wife offered cassava leaves but they refused and asked for cassava roots; Attilio sent his son Atio to go to the field and uproot the cassava.
One of the LRA then explained to Attilio that they wanted to surrender, and they inquired about the presence of the Ugandan military soldiers in the area. Attilio offered to accompany them to Nzara to surrender. The LRA fighter then asked who the neighbour was and Attilio sent his son to collect by bicycle his neighbour Daniel. The daughter Jeniti followed him on foot. Daniel came and they all started to discuss, but suddenly the atmosphere changed and LRA began shooting. They killed Attilio, his son and Daniel. The abducted man managed to escape into the bush and saved himself. Daniel’s daughter came to see what was happening and she was also shot.
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Today, Sunday 15th of November people found in Beremanga three bodies killed probably on Friday morning with their heads crushed, as the LRA likes to spare bullets.
South Sudanese soldiers went with police to check. They found the bodies of a man and of a couple living in the area. They had gone to see if the trap they had set previously had captured an animal. On the way back they probably met the LRA and were killed.
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I am asking myself for how long innocent people have to be killed, abducted, to live in fear, in hiding?
Who can put a stop, FOREVER, to LRA activities? I know Ugandan soldiers are really doing their best, so South Sudanese soldiers, so the “arrow boys” (local militias)… but Joseph Kony and some of his commanders and troops are still free and active. WHY?
I believe, as I am told, that it is difficult to trace them from their hiding places, the forest, the vast bush and abandoned areas left by the people who run away for safer places.
We, people of the Church, offer our daily prayer to God that He may change the hearts and the activities of the LRA. Let them realize that what they have been taught to do is coming from a distorted, sick mind and their activities will only bring suffering, and destruction and desolation even to them.
Sr. Giovanna Calabria”
In our four years of working for an end to LRA violence and for lasting peace in northern Uganda, the staff here at Resolve Uganda have written countless reports, articles and blog posts about why US citizens should take action in response to this crisis. But time and again we’ve found that this message is voiced most powerfully by the courageous people who are living with and responding to this crisis every day.
In 2004, Archbishop John Odama of northern Uganda called us to action in his eloquent speech before the UN Securit Council, saying “We have lost much in this war…no more discussion, please, this is an SOS.” Today, it’s the powerful voice of Sister Giovanna Calabria, an Italian Comboni nun working in South Sudan, who is renewing this call to action. Recently I heard from Sister Giovanna, whose community has been working tirelessly to assist civilians displaced by recent LRA attacks. Here are her words:
“Dear Paul,
I was happy to hear from you. As you know the situation has been confused and insecure. Those who suffered most during this time were the people from Eso [South Sudan], killed, abducted, as LRA usually do. A few days ago a man coming from Eso (we have daily arrivals of displaced from Eso) was narrating that his brother-in-law who was abducted sometime ago by the LRA in the first attacks in Eso, was able to escape during an exchange of fire between UPDF soldiers and LRA. In a recent attack near Eso, the man was abducted again and recognised by LRA, he was killed and cut into pieces. There is no mercy for those that escape and are then caught again. Relatives went to look for him, a few days later, in the bush. They were only able to gather into a sack the parts of the body scattered here and there, the legs, the arms, the head, etc. What brutality.
Two weeks ago we received 40 Congolese [refugees] who managed to escape from another attack in Doruma (Congo) by the LRA, it was a sudden one, as they had already destroyed the place last year in 2008. We were told that many were killed and youngsters abducted. We have with us 7 Congolese brothers, from 4 to 18 yrs, who escaped from their village and after 4 days journey in the bush they managed to reach Nzara [South Sudan]. This is what they have been sharing with us. News came that LRA were arriving in their village in Nduru (Congo), they all started running in the bush, the children managed to hide followed by their parents. Suddenly the mother, who was pregnant, fell, the husband went back to collect her. LRA arrived, killed him and collected the mother. The children waited for days for their mother but in vain until they decided to come to South Sudan for safety. They arrived all in rags, dirty, hungry, the elder brother had swollen legs with wounds and needed to be treated as he was carrying the boy of six year, while the sister was carrying the little girl. We dressed them, gave food, accommodation, now they are with us. They are still waiting for the mother but who knows what happened to her.
Now LRA are fond of killing, when they abduct they kill some on the way and they go with few. The big group of LRA is now marching towards Darfur, they passed through Wau [South Sudan], now they have reached Raja [South Sudan]. Why they are going to Darfur to make the place and the people more miserable that what they are already? What is the plan? Why Kony is spared and not caught?
Yes, we had three days of prayer and fasting in Nzara and Yambio organised by the Bishops of different denominations, they have been very courageous and out spoken. Thousand of people participated, even us, it was so touching and effective that I am still pleading the Lord to answer to the cry of the population and give security. We are fine even if we feel a little bit under stress like everybody else here, but we are happy to be with them. I need to give also a sincere thanks to the UPDF soldiers, if we and our people around us are still safe it is due to their effort to protect us. People are still living in the surroundings of Nzara and Yambio, no one feels to go back to their village because there are small LRA groups left that are appearing here and there and still causing disasters.
What will be happening in the near future? Will LRA still carry on their activities in Darfur, is it a plan of North Sudan Government? Are LRA after some time coming back to Central Africa, Congo, South Sudan to fight against the population? I know that even if some of the LRA commanders have been killed [or] caught if Kony will not be stopped, the problem will go on. Can the leaders of the world be deaf and blind? No one can answer to this cry/ bringing peace, security, respect of human life and dignity in these affected African countries?
Dear Paul, sorry for the eventual mistakes in the language, you correct it. Please do not forget us.
God bless, with love
Sr. Giovanna Calabria”
(Washington, D.C. 21 May 2009) – The introduction of legislation in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives earlier this week to commit the United States to comprehensive efforts to help civilians threatened by one of the world’s longest-running and brutal insurgencies is a crucial step forward for U.S. policy in the region, a coalition of twenty-four human rights, humanitarian, and faith-based groups said today.
If passed, the Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act would require the Obama Administration to develop a regional strategy to protect civilians in central Africa from attacks by the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and enforce the rule of law and ensure full humanitarian access in LRA-affected areas. The Act additionally commits the United States to increase support to economic recovery and transitional justice efforts in Uganda. The coalition of supporting organizations includes groups in Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, and Uganda, where communities are currently threatened by the LRA.
“We continue to live in fear of LRA attacks and of our children being abducted,” said Father Benoît Kinalegu of the Dungu/Doruma Justice and Peace Commission in DR Congo. “We are praying for help and protection and hope U.S. lawmakers will hear our cries.”
Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Representatives Jim McGovern (D-MA), Brad Miller (D-NC), and Ed Royce (R-CA) introduced the bill. It affirms the need for U.S. leadership to help bring an end to atrocities by the Lord’s Resistance Army and to advance long-term recovery in the region.
“The LRA has long posed a terrible threat to civilians,” said Georgette Gagnon, Africa Director at Human Rights Watch. ” This bill will help the US government support for comprehensive multilateral efforts to protect civilians in LRA-affected areas and to apprehend or otherwise remove the group’s leader, Joseph Kony, and his top commanders from the battlefield.”
For more than twenty years, northern Ugandans were caught in a war between the Ugandan military and the rebel group. The violence killed thousands of civilians and displaced nearly two million people. Kony and his top commanders sustain their ranks by abducting civilians, including children, to use as soldiers and sexual slaves. Though the rebel group ended attacks in northern Uganda in 2006, it moved its bases to the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo and has committed acts of violence against civilians in Congo, Sudan, and the Central African Republic. In December 2008, Sudan, Uganda and Congo began a joint military offensive, “Operation Lightening Thunder,” against the rebel group, with backing from the United States. As a result, the Lord’s Resistance Army has dispersed into multiple smaller groups and has brutally murdered more than 1,000 civilians and abducted over 400 people, mostly children.
“Given the catalytic involvement of the U.S. military in Operation Lightning Thunder—and the horrific aftermath of this operation—the U.S. government now has a responsibility to help end the threat posed by Joseph Kony once and for all,” said John Prendergast, Co-Founder of the Enough Project. “One man should not be allowed to terrorize millions of people in four Central African countries. The bill is a crucial first step in galvanizing immediate and effective U.S. action.”
The legislation also aims to help secure a lasting peace in Uganda by supporting measures to assist war-affected communities in northern Uganda and to help resolve longstanding divisions between communities in Uganda’s north and south. It authorizes increased funding for recovery efforts in northern Uganda, with a particular focus on supporting transitional justice and reconciliation. It also calls on the Ugandan government to reinvigorate its commitment to a transparent and accountable reconstruction process in war-affected areas.
“Smart investment in long-term recovery is essential if the people of northern Uganda are to live with peace and dignity,” said Annalise Romoser, Lutheran World Relief Associate Director for Advocacy. “Transitional justice initiatives and the development of basic infrastructure such as food and water systems are crucial elements to lasting peace and reconciliation in Uganda. Such investment from the United States will support the inspiring efforts of northern Ugandans to return home and rebuild after decades of war and displacement.”
Supporting organizations include:
Human Rights Watch
Enough Project
Resolve Uganda
International Rescue Committee
Invisible Children
Refugees International
AVSI
Global Action for Children
Lutheran World Relief
United States Fund for UNICEF
Women’s Refugee Commission
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Genocide Intervention Network
Refugee Law Project, Uganda
Dungu/Doruma Justice and Peace Commission, Democratic Republic of Congo
Gulu NGO Forum, Uganda
Comboni Missionary Sisters, South Sudan Province
Azande Community World-wide Organisation, UK-South Sudan
Mbomu Charitable Organization, Sudan
Ibba Charitable Organization, South Sudan
Azande Women Organization, South Sudan
Hope Sudan Organization, South Sudan
Eso Development Organization, South Sudan
Nabanga Development Agency, South Sudan
Dungu/Doruma Justice and Peace Commission, Democratic Republic of Congo
Azande Community World-wide Organisation, UK-South Sudan
Mbomu Charitable Organization, Sudan
Ibba Charitable Organization, South Sudan
Azande Women Organization, South Sudan
Hope Sudan Organization, South Sudan
Eso Development Organization, South Sudan
Nabanga Development Agency, South Sudan
The monitoring team set up to oversee the cessation of hostilities signed by the LRA and Ugandan government has confirmed that there is a small group of LRA in the area, estimated to be twelve in number and moving in two groups. The rebels are accused of killing two UPDF soldiers at the end of last month and also looting food from displaced persons. Read more at The New Vision.
It is likely that small groups of LRA that remain in pockets in northern Uganda are not coordinating their activity with the LRA command in DR Congo and Sudan, but are acting more as armed criminals. Boosting northern Uganda
Last week, Kenny Ferenchak, Resolve Uganda’s field researcher based in Kampala, attended a service commemorating the 11-year anniversary of the LRA attack on St. Mary’s College in northern Uganda. Below, Kenny offers his thoughts on this event and its significance in light of the challenges currently facing the people of northern Uganda.
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On 10 October 2007, hundreds of visiting civil society and religious leaders and representatives gathered in the shade of the serene campus at St. Mary’s College in Aboke, Apac District. They were greeted by the voices of hundreds of the school’s female students, filling the courtyard with songs of praise and thanksgiving accompanied by the rhythmic beat of a percussion arrangement. The sense of community and hope formed throughout this prayer service captured the concept of peace like no words ever could.
On 10 October 1996, visitors of an entirely different nature descended upon these very same secluded school grounds. On that night, rather than peaceful song, desperate cries and gunshots pierced the night air. In a night of terror that generated international attention, an overnight raid by the Lord’s Resistance Army resulted in the abduction of 139 students from the all-female secondary school. While the heroic efforts of Sister Rachele, the college’s deputy head mistress, quickly brought about the release of 109 of the girls, several girls remained in captivity for years to come and some remain missing to this day .
To me, last week’s service clearly illustrated two related points. First, this type of gathering in northern Uganda, so filled with unity and hope for a potentially bright future would never have happened prior to the start of peace talks last year. The continuing talks, the slow but steady return of people from the
Local leaders in northern Uganda are urging the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph Kabila, to refrain from violence when trying to remove the LRA from their base in Garamba National Park. Cultural, religious and civic leaders in northern Uganda want an urgent meeting with Kabila to persuade him to avoid recent military arrangements with Kampala and instead use his influence and contacts to persuade the rebels to abandon the national park for Ri-Kwanga assembly site. Meanwhile, local leaders are also set to hold talks with Sudanese president Omar el-Bashir to urge him to directly support the Juba peace talks. Read more at IWPR.
Northern Ugandan religious, political and cultural leaders announced today that President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan has invited them to Khartoum to discuss the prospects of the Juba peace talks. Meanwhile, the Sudanese ambassador to Uganda said that the decision of South Sudan
Civilians in the Lango sub-region of northern Uganda have expressed fears that uncertain progress at the Juba peace talks and poor provision of health and education services in areas of return will slow recovery efforts. Local official Benson Dila said, “The population is enthusiastic to get settled in their villages as per the government plan but the unclear peace talks are delaying the process.
A doctor from the Gulu Regional Referral Hospital in northern Uganda has said that youth in northern Uganda suffer from mental illness, many from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Dr. Thomas Oyak said, “These young people were born during the insurgency, they have grown up seeing nothing but guns and people being killed.