Fallen UPDF soldier’s family conducts funeral without body

Kampala

At the funeral service a fortnight ago, a section of mourners cast questioning glances while some relatives and family were torn between being angry and sad. Some cannot still come to terms with the fact that they were conducting a funeral service without a body.

It is the sad story of Lt. Henry Taremwa—promoted to Captain days after his cruel killing on the battle front in the Central African Republic, where he was commanding a platoon of Uganda People’s Defence Forces pursuing rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).

What disturbs the family more is not that he died fighting for his country but that although they have confirmed his death, he has not been given t a proper burial.
Family members are afraid to speak on the record, they say because Taremwa’s employers and commanders have not been forthcoming with information about his death and the whereabouts of his body, they are not sure of what to say or not say.

Taremwa is believed to have been killed on May 27, near the town of Jema, north east of the Central African Republic after the unit he was commanding fell in an ambush suspected to have been jointly mounted by elements of the LRA and the Sudanese Janjaweed militia.

It is not clear how many Ugandan soldiers were killed in the deadly ambush, the army has said about 10 while other say the fatality figures could hit the 50 mark.
There were reports that some of the soldiers were abducted, possibly the reason UPDF has not released their bodies.

“We did not receive any formal communication from the army or government about our brother’s death or the whereabouts of his body,” said a close relative who declined to be named. But relatives say, informally they were able to confirm the death and reports that the bodies were retrieved from the battle front and first moved to Nzila, the tactical headquarter for the UPDF unit there before being transferred back home. Another relative said the family spoke to the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, who promised to call back but never did.

The relative also said Defence Minister Crispus Kiyonga confirmed the death but said only a skeleton was recovered. Mr Kiyonga said a DNA test would be required before handing over the body.

Known procedure
Asked why relatives had not been informed of the fate of their relatives or bodies delivered to them, Defence and army spokesman Felix Kulayigye said concerned relatives know who to contact; the army leadership. “If a relative wants information they know who to talk to, they should come to the army and they will get all the information,” said Lt. Col. Kulayigye.

Neither Dr Kiyonga nor Gen. Nyakairima could be reached for a comment. But the family, after waiting for one-and-a half months hoping to get the body, decided to hold a funeral service as they await the body for burial. “It has been every expensive for us. Since we got the news of his death, people have been gathering at home in Nyamambo, Kazo, Kiruhura District. We have had to do the funeral service so we can move on,” said another relative. Taremwa, who joined the army in 1985 and for 17 years was deployed in troubled zones, left behind an 80-year old mother and two children.