1980 Ringili Primary School Massacre Report
Author: Okot Komakech Deo
The battle to overthrow Amin from power greatly inflicted terrible suffering on the people of west Nile. As the saying goes “when two elephants fight it’s the grass that suffer”. UNLA (Uganda National Liberation Army) a combination with Tanzanian solders that over threw Amin had significant number of northerners and commanders already fed up of the regime of Amin. Rape of women, looting, and burning of private properties were among terrible events that unfolded in most west Nile district during the downfall of Amin. Most of these killing were executed on revenge tendencies, a typical characteristics of human rights violation Uganda has had to deal with over a number of regime changes.
Introduction: In 1980, groups of UNLA (Uganda National Liberation Army) chasing fighters of Amin ended up in a village of Ringili, Arua district and killed 16 people at Ringili primary school. The civilians where rounded up from neighboring villages and slaughtered at the place now a primary school. According to community members, the event marked the beginning of fleeing into exile for most people in and around Ringili. Congo at the time was only way out of the troublesome UNLA soldiers. The soldiers targeted majorly men as they feared where either collaborators or camouflaging soldiers of Amin. Mostly women’s lives where spared but never escaped being rapped.
The memories of a victim
Ochoko Rachel (Survivor) I am 55 years old now but about 34 years ago, I found my self-living in a village called Ringili in Arua. I lived in the home of late mzee Eliza with my other siblings. It was in the year 1980 when I show what is known as war in Uganda as a young girl of 17 years. Before that, I knew nothing about war. It was a Wednesday morning and was drizzling. We were all at our home in Ringili theological college that is the current Uganda Christian university Arua campus. At around 9am in the morning, we show soldiers scattered running everywhere through the village telling us that they have secured the government and were advancing towards Bondo. All of a sudden, they retreated as though soldiers were chasing them. Those I assumed must have been the Tanzanians.
As they advanced towards our home, what I show as a young girl was the ordering of people to surrender. And since they got us by surprise, they didn’t give us time to hide or explain our self. From a far, I could see houses burning. Then they forcefully surrounded my brother and father. The rest of us were chase 200metres away from the home. Men were separated from women and women were ordered to go back home. My dad, brother and many others were led to Ringili primary school where they met their death at around 11am. Amidst those killed were student at theological college by then. As they were being driven to place were they were to be killed, I was distant away but heard only the gun shot. Soon after that I show my brother running while holding one of his harms telling us that our dad has passed away then from there I didn’t know what happened next’s, there was a European lady known as madam Lora who offered to take those who survived to Kuluba hospital for treatment, among the 16 people who were presented to be shot, only one person survived even without bullets touching himself, but for my brother about 3 bullets were shot at him but he survived and now he is a living testimonies of that war of 1980, and that is all I can remember as a little girl of 17years old about the 1980 war.
To me personally, it was and still is a very tragic moment and a grate loss on the dear ones on, those tragic incidents left a very big gap in the affected homes that to dates can’t be filled. Because as a young girl it wasn’t easy to be educated after my dad left. I suffered the consequence of war and I do believe that others who also lost their dear ones to war at those tragic moments also suffered the same thing. Secondly the war had a serious effect on us and on our children because of hunger. We went through a very difficult moments after the war as survivor. Homes were disorganized was not secure any more. We were left to struggle on our own as children.
After the killing we were then displaced. My brothers and others whom they survived together, went to the hospital to received treatment but because he had a serious fractured on his left harms, we had to push him to Angaro hospital for better medical service. It was also not easy in Angaro hospital. The tribal segregation with Alur and Lugbara was at its peak…
On our way back from hospital, my brother almost met his death in front of an army barrack. Soldier arrested him as a deserter- a runaway soldier. It was a very difficult night at Bondo army barrack. But the next day by God’s wills, we were able to return back to Bondo hospital a life. Upon our release, the Lorry driver to take us to Arua wasn’t willing. He then forced us to sleep in an army barrack. but among many soldiers. We were put in separate rooms with my brother. My niece and me were left in a single room. We were disturbs so much until one of the army officer came and protected us the whole night. So that is the experience I passed through when I had a terrible night in Bondo army barrack. Though the car didn’t break but they said that is where its journey ends and couldn’t proceed to Arua. The army soldiers wanted to rape me.
We left Ringili village on Wednesday 15th Oct 1980. On that fateful day of the war we couldn’t live there any more. So we took refugee at Kuluba hospital where many others also did the same. so when we came back from Angalo hospital my family were still living in Kuluba hospital were we later join them. From there we didn’t move back to Ringili anymore when my father was killed, I had an uncle in Kisuku where we went and join his family
The message I have for others is that we really need peace, and we need a peaceful Uganda. Because war has many result including displacement and all I argue is that the leaders should join hands together in order to lead Uganda in peace. So that we are no longer affected by such problems. The loss is so grate to imagine. we didn’t expect it and indeed the 1980 war made us to separate. it’s a lost that is not easy to forget. I believed others who also found them self in my step as survivors of the family needs helps from the government so that we can recover from the trauma we are going through by at least doing some thing if not compensation. Because nearly all people from west Nile suffered the consequences of that war and they have tried to move forward by working very hard to rebuild the lost properties like houses but that is enough. It will be much better if the government come up and give them aid to hold up there hands.
Emerging issue: Family members are demanding for compensation from the current government while they continue to pull out resources together to conduct yearly memorial prayer.
Recommendation
There is need to further trace out for more survivors of the attack for in-depth documentation of the massacre. West Nile where however torn in between being loyal to the UNLA or their tribes man’s army of Amin. A deeper search would facilitate the understanding on the complexities how such loyalty would be factors that attributed to the cruel some treatment and targeted killing of men in west Nile