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On May 2, 2024, a group of 117 individuals who were previously involved in rebel activities were handed over to local authorities in West Nile for integration.

The Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF), through the Department of the Chief of Defence Intelligence and Security (CDIS), facilitated the handover.

During the reception ceremony at Ssese playgrounds in Yumbe district, Brig Gen Michael Kabango, the commander of the 4th division reported that the group included 91 previously living in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo while the other 26 are part of a group that had been in the Eastern part of Yumbe district, particularly in the sub-counties of Romogi and Kochi.

The Yumbe group he said had since 2022 been part of the gangs accused of terrorizing the local community. These 26 with others still at large looted animals, robbed properties and abducted people whom they forcefully recruited into rebel activities.

Brig Gen Michael Kabango the commander 4th division. (Photo by Adam Gule)

Kabango said the Yumbe group included insurgents who shot dead a UPDF officer who was among the troops pursuing the gang last year.

During a speech, Kabango reminded everyone of the officer who was killed by the group in Romogi last year and announced that the 26 responsible individuals had been pardoned.

All these are our people majority of whom hail from the Yumbe district while some few come from other districts of West Nile such as Koboko, Moyo, Maracha, Terego, Arua and Madi Okollo.

According to Kabango, the team that went to South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo had been duped by persons promising them jobs but after crossing the common borders, they were forced to join rebellion groups.

Kabango reported that the groups have since surrendered to the government and handed over an assortment of military ware, including 14 guns, army uniforms, several rounds of ammunition and other war weapons.

Kabango implored the returnees to go back and form groups to benefit from different government programs such as the ongoing parish development model, Emyooga, and operation wealth creation, among other programs.

What the returnees said

Hillary Nsubuga Bakongo, the team leader of the returnees said some of them, including himself were pushed into rebel activities by the pressing issues in the country.

He alleged that a top security officer threatened his life and took away his land, which forced him to join forces in South Sudan and later the Democratic Republic of Congo.

While in the bush, Bakongo said they formed a group known as Forces for Equality Change (FECA).

He called on the government to intervene in some cases that send people out of their own country just like him so that the peace and stability of the country continue to prevail.

"We are happy to be back home. Our prayer is that the government should intervene to probe issues that pushed us out" he said.

Emme Mitala, the Resident District Commissioner for Koboko and also, the whip of West Nile RDCs lauded the government for considering returning and integrating the sons of the West Nile into the communities.

He, however, urged the government to probe the practice, which he said is cropping seriously in the region.

Mitala said there seem to be some people behind the practice who are taking advantage of the history to organize West Nilers to go to the bush and in return, he/she is doing business to earn from the government.

"It appears someone is hiding behind our people in the name of rebellion and in return makes money from the government. We ought to do more investigations,” he said.

Yumbe district LC 5 chairperson Abdulmutalib Asiku said since independence, West Nile has suffered numerous insecurity threats, which made many flee the country to exile until 1986 when President Yoweri Museveni Kaguta came to power and ordered the return of all those in exile.

He added that, despite the efforts by the NRM government, the region of West Nile continued to suffer from instability as a result of rebel activities and armed robberies ranging from West Nile Bank Front, Uganda National Rescue Front I and II until 2000, when the government signed a comprehensive peace deal with the Uganda National Rescue Front II at Boma grounds in Yumbe district.

Brig Gen Michael Kabango, the commander of 4th division (middle) and other leaders in a photo with some of the returnees at Ssese playgrounds in Yumbe district. (Photo by Adam Gule)

According to Asiku, a lot of wealth and lives were lost due to the instability, and it's time for the people to engage in wealth creation rather than fighting.

"We have only realized relative peace in the region when the government engaged with UNRF II to sign a peace deal at Boma grounds, this means that we are still behind in terms of development," he said.

'Take advantage of government programs'

The Resident District Commissioner for Yumbe John Bosco Tumwesige appealed to the returnees to take advantage of the ongoing parish development model and other programs and quickly register to benefit.

Asiku revealed that the district in the first phase of PDM received sh21.2b, and this time each parish SACCO has received at least sh50m in their accounts.

He said the returnees shall be a priority in their localities so that they receive the sh1m to open up enterprises to come out of poverty.