Nwoya, Uganda: Former Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) commander Sam Kolo has warned ex-LRA combatants living in northern Uganda against making reckless statements that threaten the hard-won peace in the region, saying such utterances undermine stability and development.
Brig Kolo, who returned from the bush in 2005 and is now engaged in large-scale farming in Lungulu Sub-county, Nwoya District, made the remarks while addressing more than 200 former LRA combatants during a meeting organised by the Office of the State Minister for Northern Uganda.
The engagement followed the circulation of a viral video in which some ex-combatants threatened to return to the bush, claiming government neglect and alleging that weapons buried in different locations could be exhumed to start a rebellion.
“I will never associate myself with such reckless talk,” Brig Kolo said. “We should not threaten peace. The peace we have must be used to work and improve our livelihoods.”
Kolo dismissed the threats as misguided and driven by poverty caused by laziness rather than genuine government neglect, questioning why some returnees were still begging for food more than a decade after leaving the bush.
“Why are you still asking government for food after ten years? That is not neglect. That is laziness and greed,” he said.
He also criticised the role some non-governmental organisations played during the war period, saying that instead of equipping returnees with education and skills, they handed out money, which promoted dependency.
However, Kolo acknowledged that genuine challenges still exist, particularly trauma, and questioned the effectiveness of short-term counselling programmes. “How do you heal someone who spent ten years in the bush with only three days of counselling?” he asked, calling for a rethink of trauma-healing approaches.
War Victims Raise Lingering Challenges
The Chairperson of the Greater North War Victims Association, Odongtoo Jimmy, which brings together more than 50,000 former LRA combatants, commended government for granting amnesty but said many returnees still face daily hardships.
He cited land access challenges, especially for women and children born in captivity, noting that some women return to find customary land already shared out among relatives. “Some women remarry but their husbands reject children born in captivity, leaving them vulnerable,” Odongtoo said.
He added that many abductees returned without education or vocational skills and appealed for targeted skills training and psychosocial support.
UPDF Issues Firm Warning
Reacting to the video clip, UPDF Fourth Division Commander, Maj Gen Felix Busizoori condemned the threats to return to the bush, describing them as reckless and unacceptable. “Amnesty covered only crimes committed in the bush. Any crime committed after return will be handled by the law,” Busizoori warned.
He said security agencies would investigate those who made the threats and urged former combatants to raise concerns through peaceful channels. “Do not sound war drums,” he said, appealing to those still in the bush to surrender and live peacefully.
Gen Busizoori encouraged returnees with health complications to seek treatment at the Fourth Division Barracks health facility. “Bring those bullets in your body. We remove them, because those bullets don’t belong to your body,” he said.
Cultural, Government Voices Call for Calm
The Chief of Pajimu, Rwot Onama Charles, urged ex-combatants to avoid threats, saying grievances should be addressed peacefully through clan and community structures.
State Minister for Northern Uganda Kenneth Omona reaffirmed government’s commitment to supporting former combatants, revealing that about Shs80 billion has been released for household restocking in Acholi, Lango and Teso sub-regions.
He said ex-combatants would be prioritised but warned against misguided actions. “Other vulnerable groups also need support,” Omona said, urging returnees to utilise government programmes such as Emyooga, the Parish Development Model (PDM) and the Youth Livelihood Programme.
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