End international silence on Kony â€"Bishop Ojwang

Oct 07, 2003

Bishop Benjamin Ojwang (51) of the Anglican Diocese of Kitgum spent one month (August 21 - September 25) in Britain to launch an international campaign for peace in Northern Uganda. The trip was sponsored by the UK-based Church Mission Society (CMS)

Bishop Benjamin Ojwang (51) of the Anglican Diocese of Kitgum spent one month (August 21 - September 25) in Britain to launch an international campaign for peace in Northern Uganda. The trip was sponsored by the UK-based Church Mission Society (CMS). Denis Ocwich interviewed him on his return.

Question: Tell me about your mission to London?
Answer:
I went there for two purposes; one is pastoral, just to visit our religious link in London. Secondly to campaign for breaking the silence of the international community towards the war in northern Uganda.

Why did you have to take the campaign all the way to Europe?
This war has lasted 17 years and all along we, the religious leaders, have been urging for a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Our role as religious leaders is prophetic, to keep talking and praying for the voiceless flock. We are crying for peace through non violence.

But it reached a point when we were almost in a dilemma, especially after the government said ‘let’s pursue the military option.’ Why should I keep quiet when the bone has pricked my eyes? Kony is killing people, he is displacing people and cutting people’s lips and limbs.

Did you inform the government about your mission? And are you going to make a formal report to the government, or meet the President personally?
I am a religious leader, and I didn’t need to get permission from the government. But I want to thank the government for putting in place the Presidential Peace Team, that shows they are interested in dialogue. I would love to meet the President, if it is organised.

But as of now, there is no report to present to the government and no arrangement for me to meet anybody there. But I believe the government was (informally) aware of my mission because it was published even in the newspapers. Didn’t you read about it?

But other people would say this is an internal matter which can be solved locally by Ugandans?
I don’t agree with that. Take for instance: If you are a father and have two children fighting each other, do you leave them to kill each other? If you are saying that we can handle this problem internally, then what have we been doing all these 17 years, and yet people are suffering?

Even the Bible tells us that when you are sick, go to the doctor... we are going outside to seek for the doctor to heal us of our sickness which is war.

What have you achieved out of the trip abroad?
Oh, very much! I travelled to many places (around London) where they gave me platforms to preach for peace. After I had launched the campaign, many people signed the petition to break the silence on the war. I even held talks with the Bishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, who promised to join hands with us to achieve peace.

The people outside are willing to help us in many ways including humanitarian assistance, peace monitoring and mediation. But the government of Uganda needs to welcome them.

On August 21, you were to present a petition to Tony Blair (British Premier). Did you meet Blair personally?
Yes I presented the petition of about two pages to 10 Downing Street, Blair’s office. I did not meet Blair personally, but he received it because I later, got the acknowledgement letter from him. He promised to act towards bringing peace to Northern Uganda. I also met an MP (from Britain) and got good response from other people.

What does the petition say?
We are asking Blair to help us break the international conspiracy of silence over the LRA war. We are also urging the international bodies to intervene by offering humanitarian assistance, mediation and monitoring the conflict.

Does it mean the international community is ignorant about the Kony war?
When you go out, people say Uganda is a very good country. They don’t know about the atrocities being committed by the rebels against the people, and how people are suffering. Even in Uganda here, when you move to places in the west like Kabale or Bushenyi, people do not know much and are less concerned about what is taking place in the north.

Did you meet the Acholi community over the matter?
Yes I met them. Anyway, those people are not really...(pauses). You know in every community, you cannot find people 100% united, people always have differences... I told them war cannot bring peace, and we should use only non violence means by promoting negotiations.

Some people claim there are sections of Acholi - both in Uganda and abroad - who either still support Kony or sympathise with him? What do you make of that?
Like I said, there are always divisions. But I always preach unity. Let us all work together for peace. Ugandans must speak with one voice for peace. People should not look at this war as for the Acholi only, all other Ugandans and the people abroad should be on board.

Most people think this war was started by the Acholi and should be ended by the Acholi. That one cannot work because it’s a national problem, not only a northern issue. We want all Ugandans to join us in the struggle and speak with one voice: peace, peace...

I know the Acholi religious and cultural leaders have been doing their best towards peaceful resolution of the conflict. And yet there are concerns that the northern MPs and local leaders have not done much. What role can they play?
I know some MPs are divided. I am appealing to all leaders, not only in Acholi but all over Uganda. Let us have a concerted effort at national level towards peace. We should not divide ourselves.

In your assessment, what is the biggest obstacle to peace in northern Uganda?
Mistrust! Mistrust between the government and religious and cultural leaders, and the mistrust between the government and the LRA. People are not speaking the truth. Sometimes the report given to the government may not be the reality, or sometimes the reports we get from the LRA may be false.

It is difficult to know which group is speaking the truth. Until you sit down, discuss and raise issues at a round table, you can never know the truth. That is why we are appealing for peace talks.

Despite your efforts, you have never got any concrete assurances from the rebels. Do you think the LRA is really interested in peace talks?
The last time we said let us have dialogue, they (rebels) responded well. But unfortunately, none of us has ever met Kony himself (except Betty Bigombe in the early 1990s).

The cultural and religious leaders have been meeting Tabuley and Vincent Otti (rebel commanders). For them, they said they want peaceful resolution of the conflict. We don’t know what Kony thinks because we have never met him.

But I believe given time and conducive terms, Kony will accept dialogue, especially if the government shows that it is whole-heartedly committed to peace talks. You know the problem is that there is no good terms yet between the government and the rebels, that could be the reason why Kony is still elusive.

So how should we continue pursuing the path of peace talks if Kony is adamant?
Oh yes! If the government can accept dialogue whole-heartedly then I believe Kony can respond positively. The government has tried, we have also tried, but we have not moved any further. I went to London to look for a midwife to help us deliver the baby called peace which is still in the womb.

Anything you make of recent remarks by President Museveni that he will not renew the Amnesty law if the LRA commanders do not turn in themselves by the end of this year?
The amnesty has been there for three years now and there is no positive response from Kony. What assurance do you have that the amnesty will yield fruits?

It takes a long, gradual process to achieve peace... We appeal to the government to extend the amnesty. We also urge the government not to use provocative words against the rebels. It is true the amnesty has not achieved much as expected, but we should not give up yet.

How about pursuing military options?
I strongly believe that force will not bring peace. Let us take the path of dialogue.

What is the situation on the ground now?
The situation is very bad. The roads are inaccessible. Since I was enthroned in February 2002, I have visited only nine parishes out of 30. I operate only in about two churches around Kitgum town, and I have never been to Pader.

You cannot travel by road between Gulu and Kitgum, Pader and Kitgum or Lira and Pader. I have to travel by air. Over one million people are living in camps in Acholi, Lango and Teso. People are dying of diseases and hunger because the food given by World Food Programme is not enough...They live reckless lives.

Children sleep on the streets where there is widespread sexual immorality. Raping of young girls and women is very common by rebels, soldiers and the Karimojong. In future, when this war stops, AIDS is going to kill so many people.

Many people believe Sudan is a key factor to the conflict in Northern Uganda. What’s your view?
I think if Southern Sudan can achieve peace, then we in Northern Uganda can also have it.

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