Kony war victims demand compensation for 10 years
Ms Beatrice Avitiru is consoled by other war survivors while recounting the ordeal where her two-year-old son was killed by LRA rebels. PHOTO | FELIX WAROM OKELLO
What you need to know:
- The war victim says since that time, she has remained traumatised and when she reflects on her suffering, she breaks down in tears. Ms Avutiru says some of her friends were abducted and have never been seen again.
- Ms Agnes Adakuru, who was also in the same bus, says she narrowly survived.
March 8, 1996 remains a dark day in the life of Ms Beatrice Avutiru after her two-year-old child was allegedly killed in an ambush by the Lord’s Resistance Army rebels in Murchison Falls Park.
Ms Avutiru, together with other bus passengers was travelling to Arua from Jinja District where she had gone to pick her son.
But 15 kilometres after from Karuma bridge, the LRA rebels started firing bullets in the direction of the bus.
A bullet ripped through the head of her son and another through her left arm.
“It was a sad experience when I saw the head of my child blown off by bullet. He was shot on the chin and the bullet passed through his head. I was shot here (arm) as I tried to protect him. I survived by God’s grace. It is unfortunate that our request to get compensation from government is not being granted,” Ms Avutiru narrates.
The war victim says since that time, she has remained traumatised and when she reflects on her suffering, she breaks down in tears. Ms Avutiru says some of her friends were abducted and have never been seen again.
Ms Agnes Adakuru, who was also in the same bus, says she narrowly survived.
“I managed to escape from the bullets but I rescued a boy whose mother was shot before me. I had to walk through the bushes as thorns pricked me. I reached Pakwach with swollen legs. If government can compensate other war victims from other areas, why not us?” she asked.
Likewise, Mr Yosia Agabo, 76, a resident of Kaniko cell, Wandi Ward and Baya Ezwa, who lost his tractor to the rebels is optimistic that government will listen to their cries.
“I lost a new tractor that I was using to supply farmer groups. In the process of escaping from the attack, I was shot three times in the leg which led to its amputation,” Mr Agabo says.
Since the Kony rebels were flushed out of the country, more than 814 survivors have since formed Kony War Victims Association in West Nile, a vehicle they use to demand Shs99b as compensation for the loss of lives and property
Decision
Mr Alex Matua, the association’s chairperson, said they have been demanding compensation since 2010.
“We have sought a lawyer to handle this since our cry has not been listened to. It is unfortunate that even when we petitioned President Museveni, no tangible results have been made,” Mr Matua said.
They say their counterparts in the northern region were compensated.
When contacted, Mr Don Wanyama, the senior presidential press secretary, said: “I am not aware or sure of any payment of such group of people yet. I need to first get the document of the claimants to see if they have not been paid.”
Background
The LRA war ravaged northern region for two decades, leading to death of thousands of people, women raped, thousands of children abducted and people internally displaced.
