Aboke girl re-united with parents after 13 years

Mar 15, 2009

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has promised to set up a programme to help resettle formerly abducted child mothers.

By Barbara Among

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has promised to set up a programme to help resettle formerly abducted child mothers.

The President made the announcement on Saturday after meeting a former student of St Mary’ College Aboke, Catherine Ajok, who escaped in Garamba forest on Tuesday after 13 years in captivity. At the same ceremony, Ajok, 26, was re-united with her parents, Dr. Alfred Alyai and Licer Namataka.

Ajok was among the 139 students abducted by the LRA rebels on October 9, 1996 from St. Mary’s College Aboke.

“I am lost for words,” said Alyai. “At first, people were skeptical about the operation (against the LRA), but it has yielded results, I thank the UPDF for having rescued Ajok. The only thing I can say is to thank President Museveni because for all these 13 years, we did not know that we would ever see our daughter again,” Alyai added.

As he handed over Ajok to her parents, Museveni said: “We are going to do something. My opinion is that they (former captives) should go back to school. It is important that we put aside funds, a programme for these children.”

He disclosed that the mothers and their children would benefit from the programme that would offer counselling services and education.

Under a similar programme, surrendering LRA commanders have been given a monthly stipend as they wait for integration into civilian life. Sam Kolo, a former rebel spokesperson and Kenneth Banya, a former senior commander, each get sh600,000, equivalent to the monthly pay of a UPDF major.

Government has already designed a programme for the rehabilitation of northern Uganda.

The programme provides for resettlement packages and rehabilitation of infrastructure such as roads, schools and health centres.

Ajok escaped on December 14, when the UPDF bombed the LRA base in Garamba, DR Congo. After a month of wondering in the jungles, she arrived at a UPDF base in Dungu last Tuesday.

Ajok returned with her one-year-old child, Happy Odonga, who was fathered by Kony. She said after giving birth, she was shifted to Col. Binangi Swoop’s group since she was considered a security problem to Kony, with a breastfeeding child.

“I had spent three months without seeing Kony,” she said.

Ajok was the remaining Aboke girl in the hands of Kony. The other girl having died recently in battle.

On the night of Uganda’s Independence, October 9, 1996, close to 80 LRA rebels attacked St Mary’s College Aboke and abducted 150 girls, ages between 12 and 17.

The deputy headmistress, Sister Rachele Frassera, followed the rebels and after an appeal, they released 109 girls, clinging onto 30. The rest had already escaped.

The 30 students were then delivered to Kony, who placed a close ring around them and turned most of them into his wives. Out the 30, four died in captivity. The rest have returned home, many with children.

The abduction changed the face of the war as the school administration and the parents mounted a campaign for the release of all abducted children in northern Uganda.

They went as far as the UN, the Vatican and on several occasions met Sudan’s President Omar el Bashir. At the time, Sudan was supporting the rebel movement.
The pressure brought global attention to the two-decade war in northern Uganda.

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