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

Gulu Office Koro Pida P.O. Box 104, 7Km off Gulu-Kampala Road Tel: 256-471-432484 Email: [email protected] Date 20th-January-2015

A STATEMENT POSITION OF ARLPI ON MAJOR GENERAL ONGWEN DOMINIC’ S CASE, JANUARY 2O, 2O15 We the religious leaders of Acholi sub-region have heard with joy and happiness the good news concerning the surrender of the Major General Ongwen Dominic through the Selekka rebels in Central African Republic (CAR), who handed him over to the US Military Experts in the Great Lakes Region. The US Military Experts, 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 Major General Ongwen Dominic out of the LRA’ s rebellion, on his own accord, could be a real blessing to end up 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 Dominic, in the first place, end up in the hands of the LRA? We have been informed from the most reliable sources that Ongwen Dominic was abducted, by force, at the age of ten years old, by LRA. In this context, we believe that there was, of course, some negligence, on the part of the government of Uganda, which had failed to protect numerous unfortunate children of Northern Uganda for years. On the other hand, the LRA that abducted Ongwen Dominic at tender age, and destroyed his humanity completely, by making him to becoming a mere killing machine in its hands, should be held both accountable and responsible for all that Ongwen Dominic 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

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the LRA in time. A lot of mistakes have been made even by the international community, who did not have an eye to see us, as human beings here in Northern Uganda. Instead, we have all become ‘invisible people’ in the eyes of the international community. Our own children have become 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 from the international community. 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 up 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 up the LRA war forever. Ongwen Dominic, as a victim of circumstances, should not be punished twice, by humanity. Ongwen Dominic, as a victim of circumstances should not be taken to the Hague in the Netherthelands in Europe. As a matter of course, Ongwen Dominic should have been brought back home, in order, to go through the rituals of ‘Mato Oput’ (Reconciliation), as a cleansing mechanism to 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 in life. 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. Unfortunately, Ongwen Dominic has already been taken to ICC in the Hague, by the government of Uganda. This means that the government of Uganda is treating the case of Ongwen Dominic in isolation without thinking about other children who are still in the LRA captivity. As parents and as spiritual leaders, we think that Ongwen’s coming 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. 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 Dominic whose human rights

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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 the Bible teaches that all earthly goals when pursued, as an end in themselves, will always lead to dissatisfaction and emptiness. 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 consider the situations of our formerly abducted innocent children of Northern Uganda, like, Ongwen Dominic, whose human rights and human dignity have been grossly violated by the LRA for all these years in captivity with LRA. What should be done to them in order to restore their human 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 Dominic should not be taken to the Hague for trial and prosecution. Instead, he should be allowed to undergo the rituals of the cultural justice system of Mato Oput in order to get genuine accountability that would lead to genuine reconciliation processes. The genuine reconciliation process will definitely lead into restoration of broken human relationships, creation of the healing process, a complete transformation of the two communities involved into the violent conflict, and above all brings new life to all parties concerned. The cultural justice system of Mato Oput is the best conflict resolution in the whole world, which needs to be embraced by the whole world. The religious leaders of Acholi sub-region have the compassion and the commitment to see that real justice is done to all our unfortunate innocent children, like, Ongwen Dominic, 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 Dominic 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 sub-region.

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We say all these for God and our beloved Country, Uganda 1. Archbishop John Baptist Odama, Chairman, Governing Council, ARLPI 2. Sheik Al Hajji Musa Khalil, Vice Chairman, ARLPI 3. Rt. Rev. Johnson Gakumba, Member of the Governing Council, ARLPI 4. Rt. Rev. Benjamin Ojwang, Member of the Governing Council, ARLPI 5 .Rt. Rev. Nelson Onono Onweng,(Retired) Member of the Governing Council, ARLPI 6. Fr. Julius Orach (Dean of Orthodox Church), Member of the Governing Council, ARLPI 7. Pastor Lisa (Seventh Day Adventist) SDA, Member of the Governing Council, ARLPI 8. Pastor Patrick Okeca, (Born Again Faith Federation) BAFF, Member of the Governing Council, ARLPI 9 .Msgn. Mattew Odong, Member of the Governing Council, ARLPI 10. Rt. Rev. Macleord Baker Ochola II, Secretary General, ARLPI

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