Massacres in the North by General Tinyefunza  exposed.

For those who have visited the Northern and Eastern parts of Uganda, (Lira, Pader, Gulu, and karamoja) it is hard to forget the ghostly feeling in the area, which came as a result of the conflict between Kony’s LRA and the Ugandan government. To the outside world, Kony is responsible for every evil; however, Ugandans have come to learn that both Kony and the Ugandan Army are to blame for the suffering of Ugandans in these areas - all of which were left in shambles! People were always crammed in camps where the sanitation was despicable. These people were kept under inhumane conditions by the same government that should have protected them.

In the eyes of those people in more peaceful areas, (just a little more peaceful) the so called “best army” of the Pearl of Africa did not keep the reputation of a professional army. A visit to northern and eastern Uganda will prove beyond anyone’s doubt that indeed the UPDF is one of the worse armies that our nation has ever had. How good is an army that turns its guns against the same people they are supposed to protect? How good is an army that carries out human rights violating acts against the people of the same nation of which they are supposed to protect? The recent outburst by Ugandans from the North pinpointing Gen. David Tinyefunza among UPDF soldiers who violated human rights, has unearthed so many facts that continue to shock the nation day by the day.

Suggestions to have this General face the international criminal court (ICC) shook the Ugandan Army. It should be noted that the first major military operation against the LRA was Operation North under Gen. David Tinyefuza from 1990 to 1991. Tinyefuza, commonly known as “Swarzcopf of the North” because of his ruthlessness during Operation North, sealed off the north from the south at Karuma Bridge, declaring the northern region a no-go area.

Ruthless Tinyefuza ordered people like the late Otema Alimadi, one of the prominent politicians at the time, to leave the north within 48 hours or else be arrested for sabotaging the operation. Politicians Omara Atubo, Zachary Olum and Prof. Ogenga Latigo, then Gulu LC5 chairman were arrested and brought before him. He ordered soldiers to whip and torture them. They were later flown to Kampala to be tried on treason charges.

Omara Atubo testified that he was caned on Gen. Tinyefuza’s orders. “We were arrested and beaten badly in March 1991 before Tinyefuza because he had convinced Museveni that we were sabotaging the war [military operation] in the north. But what we really disagreed with was the scorched-earth method that Tinyefuza and government were using against our people in the north. This was very absurd,” he said. Atubo is now Minister of Lands in Museveni’s government.

Aswa MP Reagan Okumu, who was then a boy, also testified that he witnessed the late Maj. Ikondere, a unit commander, burying 15 youths in a grave he had made them dig. Ikondere was falsely accusing them of supporting the LRA.

Without any logic, the army spoke’s man, major Felix Kulaigye, came out responding to the allegations which left him in deep waters as he tried to defend Tinyefunza. He said that whatever Tinyefunza did, he did not on his own, but under the directive of his commanders and the commander in chief who for the last 24 years has been Mr. Museveni. Such an explanation from Felix Kulaigye clearly shows that the president was totally aware of what was taking place. Instead of protecting the people who had given him their trust, under his directive, his generals were busy massacring the civilians and then making Kony the scapegoat!

Massacres like the unforgettable one at Barlonyo where over 200 civilians at the IDP camp in Barlonyo near Lira on February 21, 2004 left many people asking for answer. This incident cast a lot of doubt about who was really behind the attacks on these civilian camps. Being a big camp near an army base, people were questioning how the rebels managed to attack, and kill such large numbers of people, even getting time to cook some of them, without the army intervening. Security should have been available at premises since it was close to an army base. Unfortunately, to this day, Ugandans are still mourning, yet justice is not yet served, because those responsible are still at large. By then, Tinyefunza was not the commanding general for military operations in the region, thus expanding the list of those that should face the ICC.

Putting the Barlonyo incident aside with the many hanging questions, we look at another problem. Many women have always come out claiming that they were raped by people in the UPDF Uniforms.

Among the cases that have been well investigated happened on Friday 15th of August 2008. At around 10am the UPDF attacked four Turkana kraals, who had crossed the border into Uganda in search for pasture and water for their livestock. The herdsmen, from 4 different kraals (Lomukasia, Dapal and Aipa from Turkana north, and Mgiminito from Turkana central), were peacefully grazing their animals, when the UPDF attacked them from the escarpment between Kenya and Uganda, near Lokipoto. In the past the UPDF had attacked Turkana kraals on Kenyan territory, using their gunships to bomb several places, causing many deaths and injuries. On this particular incident, the UPDF used rocket propelled grenades and the attack lasted for almost 24 hours and many were left dead as those injured were in their hundreds.

Another case also still fresh in people’s minds is Lt. Ramathan Magara, an Army guy who shot and killed two FDC party supporters Gideon Makabayi and Kavuma Vicent in a procession at Bulange in Mengo during the presidential election campaigns in 2006.

Such ways have been used by Mr. Musimed that it was Obote’s army. This was always aimed at making people hate Obote’s Regime and embrace Museveni’s rebels.

Many people are still suffering in state owned safe houses and the tormentors are UPDF soldiers who have even been given police uniforms. Ugandans cannot forget how the unpopular black mambas’ siege of the court on Nov. 16, 2005 to re-arrest the rebel suspects after they had been granted bail by the High Court. The same people were caught on camera films putting on police Uniforms days later and the publication of the photos was a great embarrassment to the government.

As Tinyefunza’s case continues to heat, more evidence is yet to come in about many other incidents, like how many innocent Moslems were arrested by this regime and taken to Bundibugyo where they were killed with claims that they were part of the Allied Democratic front (ADF) rebels.

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