Norbert Mao

WHILE 2006 and 2007 were years of promise – promising peace to the people of northern Uganda, 2008 is for fulfilment. The peace process saw ups and downs.

The highest point was the consultations by the LRA delegation. They came face to face with the victims of war. They confronted our people’s unquenchable desire for peace.

The lowest point was the turmoil within the LRA causing defections of scores and the gruesome killing of the LRA No. 2 Vincent Otti and other top associates of Joseph Kony. Was it internal power struggles, greed or external forces fishing in troubled waters?

Some members of the LRA delegation told me that they had a telephone row with Kony over the lack of clear communication about the fracas. Kony’s failure to come clean did not help his delegation one bit. They were barricaded by questions about the storm in the bush. Kony was evasive about Otti when he called me a week to Christmas. He only complained about the rumoured deadline for the talks and the threats of military action reported in the press. He can now rest since the Uganda government delegation Spokesman clarified that no deadline has been imposed.

On December 29, 2007, Kony called me again denying reports that his forces had attacked Duru mission in eastern Congo. He claimed that he couldn’t do such a foolish thing, as it would antagonise the Congolese government.

He challenged those accusing him to broadcast pictures of the attack and to trail the attackers to see if the trails would lead to his camp. He claimed that such false reports were intended to prepare the minds of the public for the threatened Plan B. He further claimed that the LRA couldn’t abduct Congolese to fight a Ugandan war!

On the way forward, he said he expects his delegation to visit him during the first week of January after which they will set a date for the Consultative meeting in Ri Kwang Ba. When I asked him about Otti and the fallout in his camp, he admitted that there were serious disagreements but insisted that he would offer a full public explanation during the Ri Kwang Ba consultative meeting. He claimed he had briefed Riek Machar and Joachim Chissano. Judging from his tone, Kony is under a lot of pressure. Mistrust is at its peak. He is worried about the prospect of a Plan B. He relaxed a bit and laughed when I told him that both the conduct of war and peace talks come with risks.

Besides the peace process, the year closed on a high note for me because Professor Odonga, famous surgeon and professor of medicine called on me at my office. Better still he came unannounced. It was Friday December 21, 2007 - my last day in office for the year!

Prof. Odonga’s sterling record of achievement and reputation is a solace to those of us who also share kinship with people like Kony. It shows that out of the same community you can get those who build and those who destroy, those who heal and those who kill. This is the second time that the grand old man has called on me since I took office. His visits are always like a breath of fresh air.

I lack the space to share with the readers the range of topics we gnawed at on this occasion but those who know the professor will turn yellow with envy that I had about three hours all alone with him!

In 1996 the Rev. Nelson Onono Onweng (as he then was) and Prof. Odonga called all MPs from Acholiland to Lweza Training Centre for a full day of reflection.

Whatever we were able to achieve collectively and individually in the Sixth Parliament we owe to that day. Prof. Odonga who minces no words, told us that our malaise as a black race is that we do not value time (even while sporting expensive watches!), that we seldom plan what we do and that we do not have a culture of maintaining infrastructure.

But on this occasion we spoke about medicine, ethics, books, music, art, war, peace, politics and religion. The professor told me that there are three types of doctors—those who become doctors due to parental pressure, those who achieve the distinction because they are brilliant in the relevant subjects and those for whom medicine is a true calling and they are dedicated to relieving human suffering.

When I asked him about doctors who advocate euthanasia and abortion, he said plainly “those are not true doctors”. “Doctors take a vow to preserve human life as far as humanly possible”, he said. He said that the debate over legalising abortion is bogus because true doctors would challenge the legislators who make the law to also carry out the abortions. He said many cases of abortion are intended to protect the reputation of those stuck with an unwanted pregnancy.

“Why should doctors become accomplices in destroying human life simply to protect the reputation of certain people?” he asked.

He said an abortion could only be justified for the preservation of another life where both mother and child are in mortal danger. Even then a doctor should consult. He must not decide alone.

On euthanasia, he said the answer is hospice care where scientific advancement has boosted pain relief and care of the terminally ill.

On his wealth of knowledge he said professors are but advanced students. “The moment a professor says he knows, he must be retired,” he told me. “We don’t know everything. The more you know, the more you feel you know nothing.” But another bombshell awaited me. This Christmas was going to be the professor’s first in Gulu since 1947 — the year before he qualified as a doctor!

When the professor left, humility enveloped me. Please, come again, good old professor.