Ogolo South, LRA Massacre: Liri Parish, Arinyapi sub-county, Adjumani
Ogolo south village massacre site is located 22 kilometres north eastern of Adjumani district. The massacre site is situated at about 1 kilometre from the main road and accessible by footpath. Ogolo south village was known for simsim and peas production, an activity which stopped in the aftermath of the Lords’ Resistance Army conflict and has still not recovered. 13 years after the massacre, Ogolo south village remains uninhabited and the conflict memories remain fresh. Despite being busy and not easily accessible, some of the people still exactly remember the killing site and can easily locate it.
The LRA attacked Ogolo village on 7th July 2006 and killed 5 people. According to survivors, the community had a get together to enjoy a Madi traditional marriage and were totally unaware of the LRA incursion. The event had community members from within Ogolo and those invited from neighboring villages of the bride and the groom. The rebels’ bullets left 5 dead on the ground, while unknown numbers ran away with bullet wounds and injuries.
On the 7th of January 2006, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) overpowered and attacked innocent civilians in Ogolo south village, in liri parish, Adjumani district. As a result of the violent attack at least 5 people were killed as the LRA shot at them in a hut. The five people killed
were: Mundru Christopher, Eriga Simon, Areko Stephen, Genge Charles, and Amazuru Patrict.
A survivor of the massacre narrated that “It happened at about 25mins to 1am in Ogolo south village at the home of the late Mzee Jurugo. We were celebrating a marriage that was organized by one young man from this village. We were for a disco and that is when they shot at us”.
The Ogolo killing site is very close, just a few meters from Oyaa stream which is a tributary of Tete River. The manner in which the massacre happened was through indiscriminate shooting by the LRA. The 5 people who were killed were buried in different places. Three were buried in Arwenyi village, one in Ogolo South village and the other in Madulu North village.
Charles Etega who is now 34 years old and a survivor from the scene of the massacre recalled how a peaceful village Ogolo was before 1986. But from 1990 to 2006 the LRA war in northern Uganda spilled over to Adjumani and to this particular village which became a victim of several attacks.
“This happened when I was also inside and I was supposed to also be killed, but due to logic I played. Being a lame person and already on the floor, two people were shot dead on spot and fell next to me. I crawled and moved their bodies to cover me. Then when the LRA entered here, they saw collected some things from here. Then they started chasing people here with guns, others were being shot on the leg, others on the head. One was shot down some meters from here and killed. Then the other was shot from there. And on that very day, there were others shot in the stomach. One who was called Ndega Charles died from the hospital of Adjumani hospital. Those who were just killed here around are; Christopher Omondo from Orenge village, the father is Awelio, then Eriga Simon son of Rocenzion Areko, Stephen son of Genge Charles son of Okudu Michael then Erichaa, the father is Ruule Those were the one who died here. But that is really a bad incidence which has happened since the LRA broke into this part of ours here. On that very day, there is a man called Jurugo who is a young boy who got married. He had organized this disco so that people enjoy the traditional local marriage. So he organized for the marriage which took place here”. Narrative from Charles a survivor.
Compensation and community frustration
The villagers being robbed of their joy haven’t seen processes that could better their lives after the violence. “Frankly let me tell you, there is no compensation which has happened right from the time of the massacre” one survivor bitterly lamented. Once this thing happened, there was no compensation. Since 2006 up to now, there was no conversation and this is the first time for you from Refugee Law Project has visited this area.
The Ogolo south village massacre site is at GPS coordinates
(N03.52839, E031.99102) Elv 604m