NORTHERN NEWS EXTRA
For un-censored news from Northern Uganda
February/March 2005
Introduction�
A well "horned" UPDF tactic of dealing with its opponents is to reach individual agreements (where no records are kept). Ever since it came to power, the military dictatorship has struck deals with a coterie of individuals including ex-ministers, prominent politicians even ex-presidents. That many a Ugandan allowed themselves to the duped by the military dictatorship was not out of "their stupidity" as the UPDF is often quick to point out. Rather many of these agreements carried the "guarantees" of some older democracies. The agreement went as follows; firstly that the individual's own security would be guaranteed (this with the assurance of the "older democracy"). Secondly, that the financial rewards to the individual would be commensurate with their efforts towards shoring up the military dictatorship.
In December 2004, the military dictatorship announced that a ceasefire ag
reement
between it and the LRA were only days away. That nothing came out of those negotiations was in keeping with the UPDF style of making peace. Large sums of money were promised to certain individuals close to the talks. When others within the LRA camp suggested that the document should be seen by the whole LRA leadership, the UPDF declared war. The so called surrender (defection) of certain LRA commanders therefore has to seen in this light. In short, large sums of money plus the guarantees of certain "third parties" have done the trick for the individuals concerned. The strategy is to break the LRA. Whether this strategy works and brings about peace, only time would tell.
On this note and on behalf of the team, I welcome you to the 14th issue.
UPDF abduct civilians in Guru-Guru...
On 14 January 2005, a large number of civilians left Palabek Kal camp to go back to their former homesteads in Guru-Guru to search for wild vegetables, firewood and remnants of cassava which were growing wild. The visit to the villages by the people from the camp was with the active support of the UPDF commander attached to Palabek Kal. He said those who wished to go to their former homes to look for food where free to do so. This then prompted a large number of people to take up the offer.
According to civilians who were later released, they said as they got to Guru-Guru, they came across the UPDF mobile force. The UPDF mobile unit told them that they were "tired of civilians like them who keep moving out of the camps. Since they (the civilians) were so interested in moving about, they (the UPDF) were going to make them move until they had no more interest in moving".
The UPDF then ordered th
e
civilians to carry boxes of ammunitions and to start moving. The only person the UPDF had the heart to exempt from this type of treatment was Elizabeth Lakot (who was the only elderly person amongst them). After the UPDF had moved with the civilians for quite a distance (many miles away from the camp), they decided to release Lakot. The following day, at about 5pm, the UPDF decided to release the next lot of civilians. By this time, the civilians were so far away from the camp and completely in the middle of the wilderness. The civilians released on 15 January 2005 included Santo Otti and Marcelina Akun. They were simply asked to pass on the boxes of ammunition they were carrying to others with them including Kilama, Odera, Mwaka and Ojara whom they knew (recognised) from the camp.
The released civilians then reported the incident to the camp leader who took the issue to the UPDF commander. The UPDF told the civilians that there was not much the UP
DF could
do. The UPDF said that the civilians should wait and their colleagues would be released in a few days time. At the time of going to press, nothing had been heard of the missing civilians since.
US Group indicts UPDF....
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