Over 1,000 Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) survivors in the West Nile Sub-region renewed their request for approximately UGX 99 billion in compensation. These survivors, who have endured the fallout of the LRA war, have alleged that their compensation process has been plagued by delays and obstacles. In a recent demonstration involving 200 members, they besieged the presidential lodge in Arua City over the non-payment of their compensation.
The survivors assert that despite President Museveni’s directives for their compensation, some officials within the Defense Ministry appear to be deliberately obstructing the implementation of these directives. During their protest, which lasted for about three hours, the demonstrators gathered at the entrance of the Presidential lodge.
The Chairperson of the Kony War Victims Association, Mr. Alex Matua, emphasized that they have complied with all requirements but still face impediments in the compensation process. He expressed their frustrations and questioned why they have not been considered for compensation when survivors in other regions, such as Acholi, Lango, and Teso, have already received compensation. Mr. Matua lamented, “Are we not Ugandans?”
Mr. Alhai Rashid Ciriga, one of the survivors from Lodonga Sub-county in Yumbe district, shared his plight. He revealed that he continues to suffer from bullet fragments lodged in his arm and needs Shs3 million for a necessary operation, which he cannot afford. He had lost his businesses after being shot in 1997, and his merchandise was destroyed in a bus fire. This loss made it challenging to provide education for his children and support his son, who was also disabled in the incident.
The delay in compensation has been compounded by political factors and a lack of commitment from political leaders. In response to these obstacles, some survivors have turned to the courts for assistance. Tragically, some survivors have passed away before receiving any compensation.
The survivors’ lawyer, Mr. Sam Ondoma, expressed his clients’ frustration at the lack of response to their letters sent to various offices. He highlighted the dire situation many survivors face, with lost capital, unpaid school fees, collapsed businesses, and unfulfilled promises spanning over 20 years.
Efforts to secure compensation have included letters from government officials. Hajj Yusuf Kakande, then a secretary in the office of the President, wrote to the Permanent Secretary of the Defense Ministry on December 14, 2020. Similarly, on June 20, 2022, the Principal Private Secretary to the President, Dr. Kenneth Omona, wrote to the Attorney General, seeking compensation for Kony war victims. Despite these appeals, no concrete action has been taken.
With growing desperation, the victims reached out to the Speaker of Parliament, Ms. Anita Among, in May 2023. Ms. Among then wrote to the Attorney General, but these efforts have also yielded no results. It has been nearly 20 years since the end of the conflict in Northern Uganda, which was marked by numerous atrocities committed by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels.
During the peak of the conflict, travelers from West Nile were not spared as they faced violence and attacks. Businesspeople, students, civil servants, and other locals fell victim to killings, abductions, injuries, and property damage during ambushes in the Murchison Falls Park and along the Pakwach-Karuma highway. Vehicles traveling from Adjumani to Kampala through Amuru District were also targeted in attacks.
