"The Prime Minister, Prof. Apolo Nsibambi, immediately instructed the ministry of Defence to investigate and report to Parliament in three weeks."
Netters/ Fellow Citizens:
Of what use is this so called "investigation" into the murder of this 13 innocent Acholi citizens which Apollo Nsibambi has called?
How many Northern and Eastern Uganda Citizens have died as a result of gun shot wounds inflicted upon the people by UPDF Helicopter Gun ships in the past?
How many of such helicopter attacks did our learnt friend direct that it should be "investigated"?
The fact of the matter is that all this so called Nisibambi "Investigation" is nothing other then a futile propaganda ploy which is intended to convey an impression to members of the international Community and Ugandans that after all the NRM is "Investigating" atrocities committed by it's "UPDF forces aginist citizens.
Members of the International Community and Ugandans must realize that when the UPDF uses Helicopter Gunship to Kill Innocent citizens, the UPDF succeeds in creating among citizens of Uganda , a certain resentment and disgust for the UPDF oppression force! ..now operating in the North and East
Such resentment can in no way lead to resolving the Northern Uganda conflict (now Eastern Uganda) peacefully. It only inflames the Conflict.
Matek
Army Helicopter Kills 13 in Pader
The Monitor (Kampala)
July 30, 2003
Posted to the web July 30, 2003
Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda
Kampala
A military helicopter gunship has killed 13 civilians in a garden in Pader, Parliament heard yesterday.
The Prime Minister, Prof. Apolo Nsibambi, immediately instructed the ministry of Defence to investigate and report to Parliament in three weeks.
The tragedy happened on Thursday, July 24, according to the local MP, Mr Odonga Otto.
A similar incident in Obalanga, Katakwi district, on July 22 left nine civilians dead.
Many others were injured.
The Obalanga victims were bombed at a funeral ceremony.
MPs cited many incidents when the gunships bombed innocent civilians.
MP Otto told Parliament that the 13 civilians killed in Pader were from Oyuk village in Acholi-Bur, Pader district.
He said that six other people were critically injured.
The victims were tilling their gardens when they were hit.
Four were members of one family.
Another victim, Mzee Latigo Nyok and two other people were from the Pajule camp for internally displaced people.
Scores of other people were killed by the army's gunships.
"In 1991 the then NRA soldiers smoked to death 300 men in what has been registered as the Acholi Bur Massacre. In 2001 a presidential convoy vehicle rammed into a house killing two people. The president stopped, talked to the people and promised to compensate the bereaved families. To date nothing has been done," Otto said.
He blamed the Chief of Military Intelligence Col. Noble Mayombo for giving the army wrong intelligence.
"Government would like to say how sad it is to learn of this incident," Nsibambi said before ordering an investigation.
Agago MP, Prof. Ogenga Latigo, said that a military helicopter had killed three people and injured 15 in another incident.
Butebo MP Dr Steven Malinga that it is unusual for military aircraft to kill civilians because the gunship is usually called in by ground troops.
Otuke MP Mr Omara Atubo also listed two similar incidents in Lira district, one of them in his constituency.
Kibaale MP, Capt. Charles Byaruhanga, said that there was urgent need for a law governing the army.
He said that public needs to understand how politicians such as Capt. Mike Mukula could turn into soldiers, and even commandeer armoured military vehicles.
The MP said that Mr Mukula, a commercial pilot, could be one of the people flying the gunships that are killing civilians.
