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The Monitor (Kampala)
December 14, 2003
Posted to the web December 15, 2003
Elias Biryabarema.
Kampala
The Acholi living in Teso and Lango are being witch hunted by leaders in those areas, the MP for Aswa County, Mr Reagan Okumu on Friday told Sunday Monitor.
Okumu said that the Minister of State for Health, Capt. Mike Mukula, the Kasese RDC, Mr Musa Ecweru and MP, John Eresu (Kaberamaido) who are currently directing the Arrow Group, a local militia, are inciting the Iteso against the Acholi.
"Yes there's a big problem. These people are instigating the locals against the Acholi. They've gone further and are calling for the killing of fleeing abducted children," he said.
Eresu, however, scoffed at the allegations when contacted on phone on Saturday.
"The fact is that we were invaded by people who speak Acholi. These are the people we are killing, if they are the ones being referred to, we shall continue to kill them," he said.
Eresu also dared Okumu to name the people he claims have been killed innocently.
On his part Ecweru said, "That is absolute rubbish. You know Iteso are cultural and hospitable people." He described Okumu as an LRA apologist who picks a quarrel with anybody who fights LRA.
The seething tribal animosity between the Acholi and Iteso started recently when LRA rebels spread their vicious campaign into Teso. The Iteso, one MP who wouldn't be named, said saw it as an invasion by the Acholi and not rebels as it is.
Eresu last month said in parliament that the bandits meting out terror in Teso are from 'Acholiland'.
This statement drew intense outrage and denunciations from Acholi MPs who demanded that Eresu retract his statement.
They said that it would be noxious to suggest that Acholi are responsible for the suffering of the Iteso, when all of them are helplessly caught up in the glare of LRA terror.
Eresu never backed down on his position. All the Acholi MPs are currently at home (in the north) to identify themselves with the cause and boost the morale of the army and locals.
On Thursday, Okumu said the MPs visited Opit Village in Ogomoro Sub County in Gulu where anguished residents gave them names of those who had been murdered wantonly by Langis on mere suspicion.
He said that Acholi who cross over to Lango are deemed LRA rebels or spies.
Efforts to contact minister Mukula were futile, before we went to press.
