20 Years of Agony: LRA war victim pleads for help after living with bullet since 2004

Laker Rose, an LRA victim and 46-year-old blind mother of two, has endured unimaginable suffering and resilience. Abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and held captive for years, she was finally released and returned home in 2004.

Despite her remarkable resilience, Laker’s plight has taken a significant toll on her physical and emotional well-being.

Uganda’s National Transitional Justice Policy (NTJP), approved in June 2019, aims to address the country’s post-conflict legacy through justice, accountability, reconciliation, and social reintegration, with a pending Transitional Justice Bill seeking to operationalize the policy.

During an interview with DailyExpress, Laker expressed with tears rolling down her chest how the pain and the discomfort caused by the bullet during the captivity has made everyday tasks a challenge. Moreover, the psychological scars of her captivity continue to haunt her and affect her relationship and the overall quality of her life.

“When I finally returned home from captivity, I held onto the hope that my life would transform and I would find happiness as a mother, but instead, I met with the harsh reality of living with the physical and emotional scars of my captivity”.

She further added that the trauma I experienced still lodged in my body and served as a constant reminder of the suffering I endured, and as a mother, it’s breaking to see your children suffer alongside. They deserve a happy, carefree childhood, but instead, they have to grow up too quickly, bearing the weight of my struggles  

In her heartfelt plea, she called on the government to intervene and provide her with the necessary medical attention and support because ever since she came from captivity, she has only received a blanket and 200,000 shillings many years down the road.

Despite the challenges, I remain hopeful that one day, things will get better. I long to break free from the shackles of my past and build a brighter future for myself and my children. But, for now, I continue to hold onto the memories of what could have been and the dreams of what still might be.

Honorable Charles Onen, a member of the Ugandan Parliament, has emphasized the need for a comprehensive Transitional Justice Law to address the needs of victims of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) conflict.

“We anticipate tabling the matter in Parliament within the next two weeks. Our legal team has made significant progress, having already produced the first draft of the proposed legislation. This draft will undergo further review and refinement before being presented to Parliament for consideration.”

Onen stressed that a transitional justice law would provide a framework for accountability, reconciliation, and reparations for victims and would help to promote healing and closure.

He noted that the law would also enable the government to acknowledge the harm caused by the conflict and take steps to prevent similar atrocities from occurring in the future.

Stella Lanam, Executive Director of War Victims and Children Networking, has made a heartfelt appeal to the government of Uganda to support victims of war. Specifically, she has requested that the government build capacity for these victims, enabling them to regain control of their lives and become self-sufficient.

Furthermore, Lanam has urged the government to release funds to support the removal of bullets and other war-related injuries from the bodies of victims. This medical intervention is crucial in alleviating the physical suffering of those affected.

In addition to physical support, Lanam has also emphasized the need for counselling services to help victims address the trauma they experienced during captivity. Many former captives have not received counselling since their release, and this lack of support has exacerbated their emotional and psychological distress.

Lanam’s appeal is timely, considering the ongoing struggles of war victims in Uganda. Many former LRA abductees, for instance, remain landless and homeless due to rejection and land conflicts. Moreover, children born in LRA captivity face significant challenges, including social stigma and lack of access to education.

Patrick Nyero, a former captive of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), has made a passionate appeal to the government of Uganda to support the education and resettlement of victims to enable them to be able to fight poverty within themself

Nyero, who was abducted and taken into captivity, emphasized that many victims like himself were forced to miss out on education due to their time in captivity.

“As a result, we lack the skills and knowledge necessary to support ourselves and our families. He appealed to the government to consider the children of victims and provide them with free education, enabling them to break the cycle of poverty and build a brighter future.

Nyero highlighted the critical issue of land ownership; many former captives, including himself, lack access to land, making it difficult for them to resettle and rebuild their lives.

He urged the government to purchase land on behalf of victims, providing them with a safe and secure place to call home. This, he believes, would be a crucial step in helping victims forget the trauma they experienced in captivity and move forward with their lives

Sandra Adong, a brave survivor of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) conflict, passionately appealed to the government to remember the victims and listen to their stories. She emphasized that many victims, including herself, continue to suffer from the physical and emotional scars of the conflict.

Adong poignantly described the daily struggles she faces, living with a bullet lodged in her body. She explained that the constant pain and discomfort make it difficult for her to work and provide for her children.

“Many nights, I go to bed with anger and frustration, feeling defeated by the pain and limitations that the bullet has imposed on me,” she said.

As a single mother, Adong’s situation is particularly challenging. She expressed her deep concern about the future of her children, who rely solely on her for support. “Raising my children has become a daunting task, as the bullet in my body has robbed me of my ability to work hard and provide for them,” she lamented.

While a precise number is difficult to pinpoint, aid groups estimate that since the conflict in Northern Uganda began in 1986, over 20,000 people have remained maimed with injuries, and many civilians have suffered severe disfigurements.

In 2000, Uganda enacted the Amnesty Act to encourage armed groups and combatants to abandon their fight and return home, but the act’s amnesty provisions were controversially withdrawn by the government in 2012, citing the end of war.