Aboke Girls Remembered

By James Oloch in Lira
TEARS rolled down as parents, religious leaders, school administrators, Concerned Parents Association and students conducted a special prayer to commemorate the abducted girls from Aboke St. Mary’s College in Apac district.
The LRA rebels abducted 139 schoolgirls from the college six-years ago.
Thousands of sympathisers thronged the college carrying posters, placards and banners, some of them reading, “Peace, forgiveness and reconciliation.”
Others said, “Don’t draw children into political conflict. We want our children back.”
Some of the former abducted students narrated their ordeal which sent parents sobbing openly as the Bishop of Lango Diocese, John Charles Odur Kami, called for forgiveness and repentance.
“When you escape and by bad luck you are re-abducted, they kill you in front of people to scare others who may have that interest to escape,” Tony Okwir, a student from Acaba Technical School narrated. Okwir spent over two years in Kony captivity.
The Bishop of Lira Catholic Diocese, Joseph Oyanga, appealed to the Government to use dialogue in settling the conflict.
Apac district boss Ben Olwa said Ugandans were eagerly waiting for a positive outcome of the peace negotiations between the Government and the LRA to end the suffering in northern Uganda.Ends