North leaders condemn lynching.

By Alfred Wasike

NORTHERN Uganda leaders have condemned the bloody violence which erupted yesterday during a peace march in Lira town.

Gulu Diocese archbishop John Baptist Odama, the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative (ARLPI) chief, Anglican Archbishop Nelson Onono, Fr. Carlos Rodrigues, Lira Municipality MP Cecilia Ogwal, Otuke MP Daniel Omara Atubo, security minister and Gulu Woman MP Betty Akech and the Acholi Parliamentary Group secretary, Samuel Odonga Otto, also appealed for calm and dialogue.

Otto accused Charles Angiro Gutomoi (Erute North) and Felix Okot Ogong (Dokolo) of fuelling the inter-ethnic violence. He called on the Government to get to the bottom of the matter, adding that six people were killed. He said the MPs blamed Acholi for allegedly forming the bulk of the rebels.

The violence exploded ahead of a planned 50-member peace mission of 16 bishops led by Church of Uganda Archbishop Henry Orombi on Saturday in Gulu town.
Sources said the mission intended to preach reconciliation.

Odama yesterday said, “We have been very saddened by the recent events in northern Uganda. More than 200 people are killed by the LRA in Lira. Today a peace match ends up into a death trap.”

“Let the war end. Let it not spread further. Let the civil population not take arms against each other.

Whether we are Acholi, Langi or any other ethnic group, we are children of God. Don’t arm the population. The army should trust in itself. The Government should help the army to be strong enough to defend Uganda. It is going to be like the genocidal situations among the Hema / Lendu, Rwanda,” he said.
He said President Museveni’s military approach would not solve the problem.

Onono said, “Kony does not understand anything. We wish to console the people of Lango. We call upon the LRA to stop massacring innocent people. The LRA should use the amnesty, the efforts of the religious, cultural and MPs to end their senseless war.”

He applealed to Museveni to stop blaming the army for any failures. “He should provide security for Uganda. Our people are crying out, ‘Where is our army in our hour of need?” he said.

Rodrigues said, “I have just celebrated the Holy Eucharist to begin Lent at Minakulu (in Oyam South, Apac District). I feel a lot of pain that my children, the Acholi and Langi, are being divided by this terrible war.”

Ogwal said, “This is a very unfortunate incident. I appeal for calm. It was a peace mission leading to prayers at Akii Bua Stadium. We are investigating what triggered this violence.”

She said some demonstrators were carrying placards condemning the war, one man carried a placard that said he loved war. This infuriated people who lynched him. But there were also reports of mysterious gunshots,” she said.

Ogwal appealed to Museveni to “have a compassionate heart towards northern Uganda just like he has for western and other parts of Uganda.”

“He seems to have this I-don’t-care-attitude because that is why the war has lasted for 18 years. Please treat us like the rest of Uganda. Since 1971, we have not tasted real peace.” She insisted that there was no animosity between the Acholi and Langi.

But Atubo said the relationship between Acholi and Langi soured when Tito Okello and Bazilio Okello overthrew Milton Obote and that leaders had not addressed the matter.

“We need regular meetings. Where was the UPDF? Kony is the worst terrorist I have heard of.”
Akech said, “The cause is LRA.

That he commits all those crimes because he is an Acholi, is a fallacy.” She called for a joint effort to end the war.
Ends