I was given the liver of my stepson
Apr 21, 2006
Not even in her worst dreams could Gulianmina Akello have imagined the ordeal that awaited her that evening on October 22, 2002, as she was preparing for the night. Memories that keep haunting her, making her confused.
Not even in her worst dreams could Gulianmina Akello have imagined the ordeal that awaited her that evening on October 22, 2002, as she was preparing for the night. Memories that keep haunting her, making her confused. Memories too painful to remember.
It was past 8:00pm when a group of 30 armed men, children and one woman descended upon her village, Barotiba, in Patongo sub-county, Pader district. They were rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army.
Frightened villagers like Akello were dragged out of their houses. The men were all tied up. The rebels then asked the villagers to lead them to the home of Aculu, a businessman, at the trading centre in Gere-Gere parish. More people were rounded up on the way. Aculu’s house was deserted. Akello saw how the rebels brought out a big pot from the man’s home, which they filled with water. Firewood was brought and the commander personally lit the fire.
Eight people were selected and separated from them. The rest were ordered to lie down in two lines. Akello was at the end of the line. Beside her were her husband and two sons. The rebels then started hacking, goring and clubbing them to death, one by one. Some were beheaded alive with pangas. People were screaming: “Why are you killing us? What have we done wrong to you?†But the rebels told them to be quiet as they hurried on with their gruesome work.
Akello listened to the pleas of her husband and sons as they were being slaughtered. Then, their voices, too, went quiet. As the water was heating up, the rebels chopped off the legs of Achan, a young peasant, and tossed them into the pot.
When they finally reached the end of the line, the commander said: “Leave this woman alone. We shall give her a letter to take home.â€
Akello was made to stand up. The commander then ordered her and a pregnant woman to eat the body parts.
It was only the arrival of a mamba that saved them from this inhuman act. The next moment, there was shooting all around. By now, Akello had detached herself from her body. She believed she was dead.
Little did she know that the worst was yet to come. The rebels retreated inside the village, dragging her along. While part of the group fought the army, the rest continued the slaughter.
The eight, who had been separated, were hurdled inside the house of Abonga. They, too, were hacked and clubbed to death. One of them was her stepson. The rebels then slit open the bellies of two of the victims, pulled out the liver of her stepson and gave it to her.
As if looking on from above, Akello saw how the rebels hoisted three of the bodies onto a wooden structure meant for smoking fish. “We are going to roast our meat,†they told her.
But before they could finish their grim feast, the ground troops arrived at the scene, forcing the rebels to flee. Akello was taken up to her home. She was shaken so much that she did not recognise her own house.
In front of her door, she was ordered to return the liver. The rebels took a picture of the hand-over. Then she was given a letter, explaining that the attack was an act of retribution. The village was punished because a young boy, abducted from Abonga’s house at Gere Gere, had escaped with a gun.
Before they finally retreated, the rebels beat her up badly and ordered her to enter her house. “Don’t run to Patongo town,†they warned her. “If you do, we will find you and kill you.†Akello sat in her house for a whole week, without eating.
Then she fled to Patongo, which, after word of the massacre spread, turned into one of the biggest IDP camps in Northern Uganda.
Ends
It was past 8:00pm when a group of 30 armed men, children and one woman descended upon her village, Barotiba, in Patongo sub-county, Pader district. They were rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army.
Frightened villagers like Akello were dragged out of their houses. The men were all tied up. The rebels then asked the villagers to lead them to the home of Aculu, a businessman, at the trading centre in Gere-Gere parish. More people were rounded up on the way. Aculu’s house was deserted. Akello saw how the rebels brought out a big pot from the man’s home, which they filled with water. Firewood was brought and the commander personally lit the fire.
Eight people were selected and separated from them. The rest were ordered to lie down in two lines. Akello was at the end of the line. Beside her were her husband and two sons. The rebels then started hacking, goring and clubbing them to death, one by one. Some were beheaded alive with pangas. People were screaming: “Why are you killing us? What have we done wrong to you?†But the rebels told them to be quiet as they hurried on with their gruesome work.
Akello listened to the pleas of her husband and sons as they were being slaughtered. Then, their voices, too, went quiet. As the water was heating up, the rebels chopped off the legs of Achan, a young peasant, and tossed them into the pot.
When they finally reached the end of the line, the commander said: “Leave this woman alone. We shall give her a letter to take home.â€
Akello was made to stand up. The commander then ordered her and a pregnant woman to eat the body parts.
It was only the arrival of a mamba that saved them from this inhuman act. The next moment, there was shooting all around. By now, Akello had detached herself from her body. She believed she was dead.
Little did she know that the worst was yet to come. The rebels retreated inside the village, dragging her along. While part of the group fought the army, the rest continued the slaughter.
The eight, who had been separated, were hurdled inside the house of Abonga. They, too, were hacked and clubbed to death. One of them was her stepson. The rebels then slit open the bellies of two of the victims, pulled out the liver of her stepson and gave it to her.
As if looking on from above, Akello saw how the rebels hoisted three of the bodies onto a wooden structure meant for smoking fish. “We are going to roast our meat,†they told her.
But before they could finish their grim feast, the ground troops arrived at the scene, forcing the rebels to flee. Akello was taken up to her home. She was shaken so much that she did not recognise her own house.
In front of her door, she was ordered to return the liver. The rebels took a picture of the hand-over. Then she was given a letter, explaining that the attack was an act of retribution. The village was punished because a young boy, abducted from Abonga’s house at Gere Gere, had escaped with a gun.
Before they finally retreated, the rebels beat her up badly and ordered her to enter her house. “Don’t run to Patongo town,†they warned her. “If you do, we will find you and kill you.†Akello sat in her house for a whole week, without eating.
Then she fled to Patongo, which, after word of the massacre spread, turned into one of the biggest IDP camps in Northern Uganda.
Ends