Clan heads during a meeting at Lango Cultural Centre, Lira City, in October 2024. PHOTO | BILL OKETCH
Ms Betty Amongi, the Gender Minister and a daughter of Lango, has been tasked with ensuring the success of the Ateker Reunion Festival, a four-day high-profile event taking place in Soroti City, northeastern Uganda. The festival, scheduled to kick off on November 26, 2024, will bring together Ateker communities from Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.
Four heads of state, including Presidents Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan, Dr William Ruto of Kenya, Ms Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania, and Mr Taye Atske Selassie of Ethiopia, have confirmed their attendance. The festival will feature a range of activities, including the arrival of delegations, elders' dialogue, youth and women's dialogue, tree planting, public assemblies, and cultural performances.
However, the preparation for the Ateker festival has been marred by controversy in Lango, with a contested Won Nyaci (paramount chief) leadership. On November 17, 2024, drama ensued at Lango Cultural Centre, Lira City, where clan leaders and Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) gathered to prepare Lango for the upcoming Ateker Festival.
Mr Dickson Ogwang Okul, a party in the conflict over Lango cultural leadership, stormed the venue, leading to a confrontation with clan leaders. The incident was video recorded and widely circulated, showing Mr Ogwang Okul pulling a loaded pistol at the people present.
"We were surprised that the following morning, our colleague clan leaders namely George Ojwang Opota, Mr Peter Okello Oyo, Mr. RS Tego and one other elder Vincent Otaka, who went to police to follow up the case were instead directed to make statements at the Lira Central Police Station," the clan leaders said.
They said Mr Ogwang Okul had reported the case of assault against the four people, totally at variance with the video evidence that is available to the police and the public.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has since recalled Mr Ogwang Okul from his current posting to Port Sudan, Khartoum, over alleged indiscipline involving gun violence.
"You should therefore hand over office in accordance with Section F-d of the Uganda Public Service Standing Orders (2021) and report to the undersigned for further guidance," the ministry's permanent secretary, Mr Vincent Bagire Waiswa, said in a letter dated November 20, 2024.
Mr Ogwang Okul, who is the clan head (Awitong) of Palaocol Clan, told his friends at home and abroad, that it had come to his attention that a letter regarding his possible recall from his posting in Sudan has been leaked to social media.
"I understand this news has caused considerable concern and unrest, particularly given the sensitive context of the ongoing cultural leadership discussions within Lango. Let me assure you, this situation is not as straightforward as it may appear," he said on November 22.
He said people should understand that navigating "these intricate political and cultural landscapes" is never easy.
"Who told you it would be easy? This is a testament to the challenges we face in our pursuit of a better future for Lango," he added.
"The struggle to achieve the Lango we envision is a journey, not a sprint. It requires unwavering resilience, steadfast determination, and a united front. This recent development, while unsettling, will not deter us from our path. Let us not be swayed by rumours or half-truths."
Dr Morris Chris Ongom, the chief executive director of the Global Forum for Development (GLOFORD), believes that the Atekere Festival could be part of the solution to the conflict in Lango.
"If we remain visionary as the Atekere people, use this time to learn from others, the contestation in Lango notwithstanding, will offer largely the opportunities for us to reflect and reimagine our pathway to a new Lango," he said.
Mr Denis Okwir Jaramogi, a son of Lango and health worker, echoed this sentiment, saying that the Ateker Reunion Festival should offer a sustainable solution to poverty, a major cause of conflict in Lango.
Mr Patrick Abal of Lango Cultural Foundation added that the festival provides an opportunity for the Atekere people to meet, learn from each other, and sort out their differences.
The Atekere Reunion Festival is a visionary platform for the Atekere people who for long have kept distant from each other. This attempt to congregate as a people is far more rewarding.
The Atekere people comprise Karamojong, Iteso of Uganda and Kenya, the Turkana of Kenya, Toposa of South Sudan, and the Nyangatom of Ethiopia. They are a distinct group of people with closely related customs, language, lifestyle, and who share a common ancestry.
