GULU CITY, Uganda – Gulu City is currently hosting the European Union Ambassador to Uganda, H.E. Jan Sadek, and a delegation of EU ambassadors for its first-ever socio-economic, political, and cultural tour of the city and the Acholi sub-region.
The delegation arrived on Tuesday morning, May 20, 2025, at 8:45 AM, amidst a procession of cars guided by traffic police. They were warmly received at the Gulu City administrative headquarters with a royal traditional Acholi dance, a gesture signifying high honor and welcome.
Stepping out of their bus, Ambassador Sadek, leading the “European Team,” was greeted by Gulu City Mayor, His Worship Hon. Alfred Okwanga, and other city officials.
In his welcoming remarks, Mayor Okwanga thanked the EU delegates for choosing Gulu for their annual event. He provided a brief history of Gulu, noting its origins as a township in 1906 to facilitate communication and trade, and its designation as the colonial administrative headquarters for the northern region (Acholi District) by 1915. He highlighted Gulu City Council as the largest commercial and social coordinating point in the Acholi sub-region, covering approximately 255 sq km.
Okwanga expressed appreciation for the continuous support from the European Union and its member states in urban development, infrastructure, utilities, and environmental management, citing the supply of 10,000 million liters of clean water and the construction of the Austrian-funded Cancer Hospital.
Despite improved social status, Okwanga outlined several challenges hindering the region’s growth:
- Poverty: The region is identified as the poorest in Uganda, with a poverty rate of 68.7% and 79% of the population still living below the money economy.
- Low Literacy Rate: Affecting future generations.
- Youth Unemployment: Requiring strategic interventions.
- Urban Refugees, Landless War Victims, and Children Born in Captivity: These groups need targeted support programs to recover from the two-decade Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) war.
However, Okwanga also highlighted numerous opportunities in the region, including:
- Investment Opportunities: In agriculture (coffee, millet, simsim, sunflower, chia seeds), tourism (Kidepo, Murchison Falls National Parks, Fort Patiko), textile and agro-processing industries, mineral extraction, sports, and transportation (air and rail).
He appealed to the European Union for support in socio-economic activities and specific city projects, such as:
- Construction of a museum to preserve Acholi heritage and history.
- Market access for coffee and leather products in the EU to enhance trade and local industries.
- Upgrade of Pece War Memorial Stadium into a modern sports facility.
- Attendance of the October Festival to strengthen international partnerships and cultural promotions.
Mayor Okwanga concluded by expressing Gulu City’s eagerness to strengthen partnerships with the EU to drive development, sustainability, and prosperity.
Ambassador Sadek, the head of the EU delegation, explained that this annual event involves visiting districts or cities outside Kampala to understand local opportunities and challenges. Last year, they visited Jinja, and this year, they chose Gulu for a three-day visit.
“We’re happy to be in Gulu, and Gulu is a wonderful place,” Ambassador Sadek stated. He added that their visit aims to understand the region’s opportunities, challenges, political and economic situation, preparedness for upcoming elections, and the cultural life of the Acholi people. They also plan to meet with Gen. Caleb Akandwanaho (Salim Saleh) to learn more about Operation Wealth Creation and engage with Gulu University on matters of transitional justice and investment partnerships.
Ambassador Sadek highlighted the EU’s continued support for development in the region, including the construction of the Atiak-Laropi road, 140 million Euros allocated to women’s support organizations like Gender for Development in Uganda, support for Civil Society Organizations in Gulu, and investment in mini-energy grids in Biribiri and Kiryandongo.
During their visit to Ker Kwaro Acholi (the Acholi Cultural Institution), Ambassador Sadek inquired about the institution’s efforts in protecting women and girls from gender-based violence and its role in promoting coffee farming, value addition, and local consumption. The German Ambassador to Uganda, H.E. Matthias Schauer, asked about Ker Kwaro Acholi’s processes for healing war victims and children born in captivity.
In response, the Lawirwodi of Acholi, His Royal Highness Rwot David Onen Achana II, acknowledged that “these are business unfinished, and women protection are still a big challenge.” He noted their engagement in community dialogues to reintegrate affected individuals, emphasizing the need to protect young girls, especially child mothers, through education and mitigating teenage pregnancy by working to end gender-based violence. He also highlighted the challenges faced by youths born in captivity, including rejection, leading some to become street children and engage in substance abuse, underscoring the urgent need for intervention.
Hon. Stella Kijange, the Minister of Gender, Labour, and Social Development at Ker Kwaro Acholi, requested tangible support from the EU to strengthen their capacity in providing vocational skills training for unemployed youths, integrating war-affected individuals and children born in captivity, and offering social rehabilitation support to youths.
The European Union Ambassador to Uganda, accompanied by nine other ambassadors from Sweden, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, France, and others, is on a three-day visit to Gulu City to gain a socio-economic, political, and cultural understanding of the opportunities and challenges in the city and the wider Acholi sub-region.
