Students protest Aboke abduction
Jul 23, 2008
This is fourth excerpt from Aboke Girls, a book written by Els De Temmerman. It is about the students who were abducted from St Mary’s College Aboke in 1996 by the Lord’s resistance Army rebels. It is extracted from Chapter 27. Read the text and answer the questions that follow
This is fourth excerpt from Aboke Girls, a book written by Els De Temmerman. It is about the students who were abducted from St Mary’s College Aboke in 1996 by the Lord’s resistance Army rebels. It is extracted from Chapter 27. Read the text and answer the questions that follow
Sister Rachele drives in a gloomy mood to the reception centre of Gulu. Ben and Angelina accompany her. Nobody feels like talking. The report on the front page of the newspaper has completely shaken them. ‘Kony executes five girls by firing squad’, wrote the New Vision. Among them one girl of Aboke. No names are mentioned. The news has caused great anxiety among the parents. And because they heard a new group has arrived at Gusco, they want to go and double check the news.
Since she returned empty handed from Sudan six months ago, Sister Rachele has continued her search unabated. In August, she and Ben were part of Museveni’s delegation for the peace talks in South Africa, an initiative of Nelson Mandela. At that occasion, she met the presidents of South Africa and Zimbabwe. She also saw Bashir again who embraced her. And she was presented to a man with a small face who was standing in the background : Hassan el Tourabi. But about the talks themselves, it was only said that ‘steps forward’ had been made. At the explicit request of the international press if the matter of the Aboke girls had been discussed, Museveni only answered: ‘That too must remain in the realm of confidentiality’.
The Aboke case is also creating tensions within the Lord’s Resistance Army. Kony’s secretary for political and humanitarian affairs announced in a press release that he was sacked because he had insisted on the release of the girls. And on 19th September, Dr. Obita, the new spokesman in Nairobi, said on BBC radio that the Lord’s Resistance Army did not attack the school of Aboke. The rebels had only rescued the girls from the frontline and were keeping them in safe custody. The declarations of Dr. Obita had angered the parents. ‘Since Obita has signed responsibility of the whereabouts of our children, we are requesting him to release them soon. If not, we shall take them to the International Court of Law’, they replied.
The first anniversary of the abduction was marked by a big prayer ceremony in the stadium of Lira and a one page poster in all newspapers with the names of hundreds of abducted children, among them the 21 Aboke girls.
A week earlier, thousands of students had taken to the streets of Kampala to protest against the war. ‘If you can’t kill Kony, talk to him’, their banners read, or ‘Release the Aboke girls’. The same month Museveni surprised friend and enemy by announcing that he would accept amnesty for the rebels. ‘I am under high pressure’, he said at his return from the top of the Commonwealth. ‘I don’t want to appear to be an obstacle.’ Asked if the amnesty also referred to Kony and his topcommanders, he answered: ‘I can consider to see whether we can include the whole gang.’
They had gathered some hope again. But then the mother of Jackline, one of the missing Aboke girls, died. The worries had become too much for her and she let herself go. Jackline was not only her only child, she was also a single mother. And now there is this article in the newspaper…
More next week
Sister Rachele drives in a gloomy mood to the reception centre of Gulu. Ben and Angelina accompany her. Nobody feels like talking. The report on the front page of the newspaper has completely shaken them. ‘Kony executes five girls by firing squad’, wrote the New Vision. Among them one girl of Aboke. No names are mentioned. The news has caused great anxiety among the parents. And because they heard a new group has arrived at Gusco, they want to go and double check the news.
Since she returned empty handed from Sudan six months ago, Sister Rachele has continued her search unabated. In August, she and Ben were part of Museveni’s delegation for the peace talks in South Africa, an initiative of Nelson Mandela. At that occasion, she met the presidents of South Africa and Zimbabwe. She also saw Bashir again who embraced her. And she was presented to a man with a small face who was standing in the background : Hassan el Tourabi. But about the talks themselves, it was only said that ‘steps forward’ had been made. At the explicit request of the international press if the matter of the Aboke girls had been discussed, Museveni only answered: ‘That too must remain in the realm of confidentiality’.
The Aboke case is also creating tensions within the Lord’s Resistance Army. Kony’s secretary for political and humanitarian affairs announced in a press release that he was sacked because he had insisted on the release of the girls. And on 19th September, Dr. Obita, the new spokesman in Nairobi, said on BBC radio that the Lord’s Resistance Army did not attack the school of Aboke. The rebels had only rescued the girls from the frontline and were keeping them in safe custody. The declarations of Dr. Obita had angered the parents. ‘Since Obita has signed responsibility of the whereabouts of our children, we are requesting him to release them soon. If not, we shall take them to the International Court of Law’, they replied.
The first anniversary of the abduction was marked by a big prayer ceremony in the stadium of Lira and a one page poster in all newspapers with the names of hundreds of abducted children, among them the 21 Aboke girls.
A week earlier, thousands of students had taken to the streets of Kampala to protest against the war. ‘If you can’t kill Kony, talk to him’, their banners read, or ‘Release the Aboke girls’. The same month Museveni surprised friend and enemy by announcing that he would accept amnesty for the rebels. ‘I am under high pressure’, he said at his return from the top of the Commonwealth. ‘I don’t want to appear to be an obstacle.’ Asked if the amnesty also referred to Kony and his topcommanders, he answered: ‘I can consider to see whether we can include the whole gang.’
They had gathered some hope again. But then the mother of Jackline, one of the missing Aboke girls, died. The worries had become too much for her and she let herself go. Jackline was not only her only child, she was also a single mother. And now there is this article in the newspaper…
More next week