ACHOLI RELIGIOUS LEADERS PEACE INITIATIVE (ARLPI) Kitgum Office Plot 17/23 Posta Ug Road P.O. Box 185 Kitgum, Uganda

Pader Office Canogura Road P.O. Box 50 Pader Town, Uganda

Email: [email protected]

Gulu Office Koro Pida P.O. Box 104, 7Km off Gulu-Kampala Road Tel: 256-471-432484 Date 20th-Jan-2015

A STATEMENT ON THE POSITION OF ARLPI ON ONGWEN DOMINIC, FORMER LRA COMMANDER, JANUARY 2O, 2O15. We the undersigned members of the Governing Council of ARLPI have heard with joy the good news concerning the coming out of former LRA Commander-Dominic Ongwen from LRA rebellion through the Selekka rebels in Central African Republic (CAR). We thank the Selekka rebels for handing him over to the US Military Experts in the Great Lakes Region who in turn, have handed him over to the UPDF, as a sign of mutual respect to Uganda’s sovereignty. We firmly believe that the coming of Ongwen out of the LRA’s rebellion, on his own accord, could be a real blessing to end the LRA war forever, which is still at large in the Great Lakes Region. However, if it is not handled properly with care, it could become a curse to humanity. In our considered opinion, we think that God must be put in the centre of our decision and action, in dealing with this delicate matter. We all need to have a profound reflection before we could take firm decision and action in this matter. The question we all need to ask ourselves, is, how did Ongwen, in the first place, end up in the hands of the LRA? We have been informed from the most reliable sources that Ongwen was abducted, at the age of ten years old, by LRA. In this context, we believe that Uganda as a state, which has the constitutional obligation and responsibility to protect the lives and the property of all citizens of Uganda, has failed. On the other hand, the LRA that abducted Ongwen at a tender age, when he was just a child, and destroyed his humanity completely, by making him to become a slave and a mere killing machine in its hands, should be held both accountable and responsible for all that Ongwen did during the LRA captivity all these years. We also think that the international community did not take immediate action to arrest the unbearable situation of the LRA in time. A lot of mistakes have been made even by the international community, who did not have an eye to see the prolonged situation in Northern Uganda. Instead, all became “invisible people” in the eyes of the international community. The children became both “Night Commuters and Invisible Children” from the eyes of international community, at the peak of the war of insurgency in 2002/2003. No doubt, appropriate steps should have been taken after all these short-comings, but there was no political will to do so. 1

We, therefore, urge the government of Uganda and international community to handle Ongwen’s case with a lot of care and clear purpose to end the LRA war in the region. Ongwen’s coming out of the LRA’s rebellion, on his own accord, should be a blessing to the suffering people of Uganda and the people of the world at large, to end the LRA war forever. Ongwen, as a victim of circumstances, should not be punished twice, and should have not been taken to The Hague but should have been brought back home in order, to go through the rituals of “Mato Oput” (Reconciliation), as a cleansing ritual for all that he went through during his time in the LRA captivity. The cultural justice system of “Mato Oput” is pro-life and holistic in every respect. Unlike the Court system in the world, it brings restoration of the broken human relationships. It also brings a complete transformation in the lives of the two communities involved into violent conflict. It creates a healing process in the hearts of all those who have been wounded, by the war of insurgency. But above all, it brings new life to all the communities who have been affected by violence and death. In the truth-telling process, there are no denials, no lies, and no deceptions, as it is the case in the Court system. Surprisingly, the Court system, which is punitive or retributive, promotes polarization that only leads into ultimate alienation on both sides. The taking of Ongwen to The ICC in The Hague, is treating the case in isolation without thinking about other children who are still in the LRA’s rebellion. The coming of Ongwen Dominic out of the LRA’s rebellion on his own accord, provides one of the best opportunities to save human life and to restore the broken human relationships. Forgiveness is the directive from God to the entire humanity, which must be accepted and lived in total obedience to God. Mathew 18:21-22 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord if my brother keeps sinning against me, how many times do I have to forgive him? Seven times?”. “No not seven times, answered Jesus, but seventy times seven….…”. Mathew 6:14-15 “If you forgive others the wrong they have done to you, your father in heaven will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your father will not forgive the wrongs you have done”. Assuraah 42:42 forgiveness is the most recommended act by Allah and Sura an Nissa 135. The higher call of leadership is to give honour and glory to the Almighty God and do real justice to all other people, like, Ongwen whose human rights and human dignity have been grossly violated, by the LRA. How can we now, as the people of Uganda in collaboration with the international community, turn round, to condemn him, to stigmatise him, and to punish him twice, as if what the LRA did to him all these years in captivity was not enough. What are our motives in doing what we are doing to him in The Hague? As spiritual leaders, we all know that both the Bible and Quran teach that all earthly goals when pursued, as an end in themselves, will always lead to dissatisfaction and emptiness. 2

The question is, where does God fit into our personal mission outside God’s eternal purpose for humanity? As a matter of fact, there is no real meaning to life under the Sun, but only in relationship to God and his eternal purposes. In this context, divine wisdom provides directive and protection of human rights of individual human persons based on justice and fairness, regardless of our socio-economic status, religious professions, political inclinations, and ethnicities and racial differences. We, therefore, appeal to the government of Uganda as well as to the international community to sincerely reconsider the situations of our formerly abducted innocent children of Northern Uganda, like, Ongwen, whose human rights and human dignity have been grossly violated by the LRA for all these years in captivity. What should be done to them in order to restore their broken relationships during the war of insurgency? What must be done to them in order to realize the genuine accountability for all that happened during the war of insurgency? Who did what needs to be revealed and made known publicly, as a mechanism for healing and national reconciliation? For reconciliation purposes, Ongwen should not have been taken to The Hague for trial and prosecution. The genuine reconciliation process will definitely lead into restoration of broken human relationships, creation of the healing process, a complete transformation of all communities involved into the violent conflict, and above all brings new life to all parties concerned. The cultural justice system of Mato Oput is one of the best conflict resolution systems. In conclusion the members of the Governing Council of ARLPI have the compassion and the commitment to see that real justice is done to all the unfortunate innocent children, like, Ongwen, who have become the victims of circumstances, as a result of the war of insurgency in Northern Uganda. We are, therefore, willing and ready to offer ourselves, as spiritual leaders, to stand for Ongwen in The Hague in the Netherlands, to see that real justice is done to him and many others who are still languishing in pains, sufferings, and poverty, especially in Acholi subregion. The ICC must note that there are still very many children from Uganda, CAR, DRC and South Sudan in the LRA captivity and sending Ongwen to The Hague will surely block the rest of these children in LRA captivity from returning home. In whatever decision that they make the ICC should focus on addressing the root causes of these wars in the regions of Uganda, CAR, DRC and South Sudan so as not to address only its symptoms. Finally, the Uganda government, the international community and other stakeholders should reconsider rejuvenating the staled Juba Peace Talks so as to save the lives of the children still in rebel captivity and also end this insurgency in a non violent means, once and for all. We say all these for God and our beloved Country, Uganda

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Archbishop John Baptist Odama, Chairman, Governing Council, ARLPI

________________________ Singed for and on behalf 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Sheik Al Hajji Musa Khalil, Vice Chairperson, ARLPI Rt. Rev. Johnson Gakumba, Member of the Governing Council, ARLPI Rt. Rev. Benjamin Ojwang, Member of the Governing Council, ARLPI Rt. Rev. Nelson Onono Onweng, (retired Bishop) Member of the Governing Council, ARLPI Fr. Julius Orach (Dean of Orthodox Church), Member of the Governing Council, ARLPI Pr Lisa (Seventh Day Adventist) SDA, Member of the Governing Council, ARLPI Pr Patrick Okecha, (Born Again Faith Federation) BAFF, Member of the Governing Council, ARLPI 8. Rev. Msgr. Mattew Odong, Member of the Governing Council, ARLPI 9. Rt. Rev. Macleord Baker Ochola II, Secretary General, ARLPI 10. Rev. Msgr. Vincent Ojok, Member of the Governing Council, ARLPI

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