Horror Stories

JOSEPHINE AJARA'S STORY AND OTHER STORIES FOLLOWING BELOW WERE TAKEN FROM THE AFRICA YOUTH MINISTRY WEBSITE

Josephine Ajara (21 at the time she told this story), was abducted by the LRA in 1996 as she and her family sat down to breakfast one morning!

"First, I was forced to raid IDP [internally displaced persons] camps for food. After a few months, I was taken to Sudan and became a soldier. I had to participate in the war," she explained. Ajara served as a private in Kony's army for four years until her escape in 2001. "One day, Kony's spirit came over him and told him that 600 abductees would escape that day," she said. "Three others and I decided to run away that day. We were followed by 50 soldiers, who had been told to chop us up into little pieces should they find us." The UN Children's Fund returned Ajara from Juba, Southern Sudan, to her home district of Kitgum, where she was handed over to the Ugandan Army, who brought her to a Reception Centre for former abductees and combatants. She was later taken to the Kitgum branch of the Amnesty Commission. "In the bush, we had heard about the amnesty, but Kony told us it was a lie and just a method of killing us when we came out," she said. "We were told we would be killed with a slow poison when we came out - for months I was very careful about what I ate, fearing the government was trying to poison me." Ajara received her resettlement package and opened a kiosk in Kitgum town with the money. She planted crops and now sells food to her neighbours in Labuje IDP camp, where she found her family upon her return. At Labuje, she was taken through "mato oput", a traditional Acholi justice ritual in which she accepted responsibility for her crimes and her family made reparations to the families of those she had harmed during her time as part of the rebellion. Afterwards, she was reintegrated into her community. However, Ajara said, most people had not really forgiven her. She has a three-month-old child whose father refused to marry her on the grounds that she had participated in the rebellion. "Many people still think of me as a killer, and it is difficult for them to accept me back into the community," she observed. "When the men get drunk, they even begrudge me the money I was given by the commission, saying their own innocent children have nothing while I, a killer, got government support." Despite the horrors she was subjected to in the bush, Ajara said she firmly believed that Kony should be forgiven if he surrendered because it was "the only way for us to get peace."

Prossy (18 at the time she told this story) recalls her kidnapping by rebel group the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA)!

"I was defiled by some older boys when we were being marched to the rebel camp. Then I was "wife" to one commander, then another junior commander and then two older soldiers. I had a child who died when he was a few days old. I was a slave for 19 months. I do not think I will marry again".

Beatrice (16 at the time she told this story), abducted on July, 23 2003 at Alokulom Gulu!

"I had just sat for primary Leaving Examinations and was waiting for my results when I was abducted. We walked for many days. We mainly carried the rebel’s luggage. There was a lot of hunger and only cassava was available for eating. We were beaten all the time for no cause. One day as we crossed River Pager, a helicopter attacked and we scattered all over the place. After running for a short distance, I felt tired, raised my arms and the army rescued me and took me to the barracks".

Janet (19 at the time she told this story), abducted in 1998 at Pader!

"I was going home in the evening when I met rebels. They abducted me and walked for two weeks to Jebilen in the Sudan. Many children died of cold in the mountains, there was nothing to eat and there were heavy rains all the way. But we were given food when we arrived. I found many people, about four brigades. We used to speak in Acholi and Arabic. We would pray like in a Church and Kony (rebel leader) would also attend, and also sometimes lead the prayers himself. We left Jebilen and transferred to Rubanga Tek in 2002. Then when the soldiers followed us, we went up to the Imatong Hills. The last year when we were sent to collect firewood, I escaped with my baby and returned to Uganda".

Peter (12 at the time he told this story), abducted on June 14, 2003 in Katakwi!

"We were taken to Lango, then to River Agago in Gulu then Kitgum. Many times we were hungry and would eat only leaves. We were beaten many times for no cause". "One day fighting started when we were near Kitgum. The army had attacked, I was shot in the leg and could not run. The army found me there and took me to Kitgum town in May 2004".