Victims of the 1986 Massacre in Namokora sub-county in Kitgum district by government armed forces wanted a meeting with President Yoweri Museveni.
In a recent meeting at Namokora sub-county hall, members of Namokora United Relatives of the Massacred and Survivors Association (NUREMSA) said they resolved to make efforts to meet President Museveni face-to- face because several attempts through intermediaries at the district to him had failed.
NUREMSA chairperson and former LC3 chairman Namokora, Onen Charles Sali, told Acholi Times after the meeting that the community’s resolution was born out of frustrations as a result of failure to have their demands for compensation put to the president.
Onen Charles Sali told Acholi Times that since May 2013 they have been using intermediaries to pass on their concerns to the president without success.
“Our people who lost their dear ones are demanding to meet President Yoweri Museveni. So they came up with the resolution that they want to see the president by themselves because they have tried their leaders but they have not forwarded their interests,” Mr Onen said.
At least 78 people were alleged to have been massacred on Tuesday 19th August 1986 at Wii-Gweng, Oryang village in Pogoda West parish by the 35th Battalion of the National Resistance Army (NRA) under the command a Captain only identified as Matovu. Some accounts, however, say the massacre was alleged to have been carried out by soldiers of FEDEMO, a separate rebel force under Lutakome Kayiira that was then fighting alongside NRA.
Those killed were civilians arrested from the sub-counties of Namokora, Orom, Omiya Anyima, Mucwini, Labongo Amida and Kitgum Matidi from present day Kitgum district. Others were from Wol, Omiya Pacwa and Adilang from present day Agago district. Majority were arrested at an Auction market in Orom which then attracted residents of far-flung areas.
The captives were herded into a truck which headed in the direction of Kitgum while a pick-up truck followed from behind. Some of the captives reportedly jumped out of the lorry around Wii–Gweng prompting soldiers in the pick-up truck to open fire. All in all 35 people were reportedly killed on the spot and their remains were buried in a mass grave at the massacre site- where a monument now stands.
According to the records from the Namokora United Relatives of the Massacred and Survivors Association (NUREMSA) 21 people survived the massacre.
The president first publicly acknowledged the Namokora massacre at the burial of veteran Acholi politician, Okeny Tiberio Atwoma at Oryang village in Labongo Amida sub-county in October 2012.
While campaigning at Namokora during the recent presidential elections, President Museveni again publically apologized for the killings and promised to compensate the victims. He then directed a State House staff to follow up on the matter.
However, some members of NUREMSA told Acholi Times that nothing tangible has so far been done to follow up on the president’s election period promise.
Some 35 members of NUREMSA had in the past been identified as the delegates supposed to travel to meet the president over the compensation claims.
According to Onen, the community wants government to compensate them through the Acholi traditional system, which according to him is 10 herds of cattle plus three goats per person killed.
The community is also asking government to construct a polytechnic school at the massacre site in memory of the dead as well as the survivors. They further want government to educate children of the massacre victims.
