Have you ever met a killer? (14th July)

When I do talks about northern Uganda at home, I often get asked this type of question. High school students in particular, want to know what a rebel looks like, was I scared when I saw one, etc etc. The truth is, I have met lots of former rebels who have killed people. Most of these have been children who have escaped or been rescued – who were abducted and forced to kill. Their stories are horrific and caused me to have nightmares for a long time, nightmares that resurface every so often. For example, I have met a young man who was forced to eat the brains of a man and drink the blood of the man’s wife. And I have hugged a girl who had been forced to cook another child (who had tried to escape) in a pot and eat her. The stories of such children are endless and represent the failure of the world to protect those who are most vulnerable.

While most of the stories I have heard are of children who have just escaped and are obviously still traumatised, I still get shocked when I discover “normal” children in the community who have spent “time in the bush”. They appear to be normal, happy children but I am sure their external resilience hides extreme internal trauma. I think about 3 of the 18 children who stay with Mummy and Daddy, have spent time “in the bush”. While I have never brought up the subject with them, I have witnessed some of the ripple effects their abduction has caused. For example, trying to re-enter school after being abducted at a young age can mean joining a class with children 8 years your junior, plus years of torture and trauma can lead to learning difficulties and extreme frustration – “For me, my brain does not work properly…”

The other day, though, for the first time, I met someone who had been ‘high up’ in the rebels. Although his story has been well documented, I still don’t feel it is right to write his name on here. This young man was the commander who led the (relatively) famous ‘Aboke Girls’ abduction, in which ~129 girls were abducted from a boarding school and many were released after a nun from the school chased after the rebels and demanded the release of all the girls. I have a copy of the book at home (if anyone wants to borrow) and it provides a number of voices during and after the abduction that provide a good insight into the conflict. Again, I didn’t talk to this young man about his time in the bush and can only imagine the number of abductions and killings he was involved in.

Instead, we talked about what he is doing now. He is now getting involved in different initiatives to help children in northern Uganda. And he is currently in Nairobi providing his input as a voice for the youth. The people like this young man are the future of northern Uganda. Northern Uganda needs more people like him. He did not choose to join the rebels, nor did he have much power over what he did when he was with them. But he has chosen what he will do with his life now.