Kony’s Sacred Hill: Where mystery, superstition and intrigue meet

Formerly a haven for rebel activity, Awere Hill continues to be a place that draws alot of superstition. Elders believe it to be mystic yet religious leaders baptise believers using water from its streams. Life sought to discover the beliefs that hold it together.

He adds that during the rituals to control calamities, the divine interpreter could demand for things like black chicken, simsim, honey and new pots before starting the ritual at the hill to appease the gods.

While at the hill, before performing the ritual, he says dry wood would be collected from an Odogu tree and lit to prepare the food which would then be sacrificed by sprinkling it at the entrance to the cave while the rest would be left at the site.

Coming out of its shadow
During a recent visit to the area, the Bishop of Northern Uganda diocese, Johnson Gakumba, baptized several children from Awere hill that was considered “sacred” by the old generation, arguing that he had gone to pray and baptize from it to remove the belief that the hill was possessed by evil spirits. “I prayed at the hill and also on the Awere well because many people shunned it fearing that the water could be harmful,” adding that the hill and its water spots are harmless.

Despite the prolonged fear of the hill, some residents of the area use the flat portion of the hill top for drying their food stuffs and also drying clothes washed from the well.

This could be an indication that the old belief over the hill that haunted the residents for a long period of time is gradually being forgotten and it is not regarded as a taboo to ascend to the hill top which measures about four football pitches.

The frequent pointing at the hill by the guides, something which was a taboo in the past as history of the area tells, is an indication that gradually the people no longer fear getting lost, as was believed to happen. To some sections of the community around the hill, skepticism over their safety still lingers on. They think that the rebels could one time return to the area which they considered most “sacred”, to replenish their military might.

Dorine Ayaa, 38, whose home is located about one and half kilometres away from the hill says they have been in constant fear of possible attacks from the rebels since their return to the area three years ago.

“We have been living here since we returned from the camp but sometimes we don’t feel at peace as rumours are always filling the air that the rebels could soon return to the country following the intense cross fire in Central African Republic,” she adds.

The 4th Division’s Public Relations Officer, Lt. Henry Oware, following claims that some suspicious people in military attire invaded the area last October and poisoned several water sources in Odek Sub County, says the rebels have no safe havens in the region, adding that the people can now settle in their home areas in peace.

A possible tourist attraction
Currently, the Odek Sub-County Council last year placed a ban on all foreigners visiting the two hills for failure to pay dues to them during their expedition.

“We want them to pull something from their pocket so that we can use it to develop the hills,” Ochaya Adebe, the Sub-County Chairman says.

He notes that many visitors were writing dubious names on the rock, making it unpleasant and artificial.

“Some of them do not know where the water is located and people with selfish motives deceive them that the running water on the hill is the magical one.”

“Many times, tourists come directly from Lira or Gulu to the hill without visiting my office, which is not correct. This practice has been denying the sub county local government revenue,” he says.

He says he had no evidence on whether LRA leaders visited the place often. The Gulu District Local government has gazetted Awere Hill as one of the tourist sites in its five years development plan but nothing has been done due to poor revenue collection.