Memorable pictures of the visit

Just look at these faces seen during the visit to Amuru camp.

Pictures by Rev.Willy Akena

Danes flock Northern Uganda

The past few days has seen a good number of Danes in Northern Uganda for a visit to the camps. Early this year a group of students from a journalism school in Denmark were in Gulu. Last week we had Jeppe Krogager, Ms Sanne Nyland Christensen and Jens Jonathan Steen. This group went to Amuru camp in Amuru District. Today Monday, we are grateful to host yet another Danish journalist in the person of Katrine Birkedal Christensen. Katrine visited Pabbo camp, which now has a population of 40, 290 left in the main camp, the rest have gone to eleven smaller camps nearer to their villages. Now the main camp is less crowded in terms of people, but the huts are still intact. That means should any thing happen, they can run back to the main camp again.

Camps or home

A recent visit to some of the camps in Northern Uganda shows a good number still undecided on whether to go home or remain in the camps. A cross section of the camp resident said they have already visited their original villages and some have planted crops in their own field. The following however are the real need now:
Help in setting out shelter, basic household utensils, agricultural tools like hoes and ploughs and seeds to enable them begin cultivating their land. If you know of organisation that can support some of these areas please let us know. What is worrying is the state of the children; some parents leave the children in the main camps for days with no proper arrangement on their welfare. Some of the children therefore are tempted to eat whatever is edible like these in the pictures.

New Bishop for the Diocese in 2009

Today, Wednesday June 6, 2007 Professor Tarsis Kabwegyere officially opens the Diocesan Synod. Bishop Nelson delivered his charge and members have broken into houses of Laity and Clergy to discuss the professor’s address, Bishop’s Charge and the report from the Diocesan Council.
Tomorrow, Thursday June 7, members will continue the discussion of the papers and thereafter come back in the plenary for presentation.
Bishop Nelson said his retirement is in 2009, mandatory he is to retire at the age of 65 and that should have been on January 21, 2010. But according to his charge 2008 he will visit the Christian to say bye and 2009 Election of the New Bishop and consecration as well.
More to come

Rev.Willy Akena

SYNOD MEETING

June 5, 2007


PRESS RELEASE

The Diocese of Northern Uganda is due to hold its General Meeting commonly called the SYNOD from Wednesday June 5,-Friday June 8 2007 at the Diocesan Headquarters, in Gulu.
Bishop Nelson Onono-Onweng, who is the Chairman of the Synod, is expected to announce his retirement plan and other critical issues affecting the church like same sex marriage, Adultery, empowerment of the Clergy, church land, return process and development of the Diocese.
Members that include Women and Youth representatives and all parish priests will start arriving today and the meeting starts tomorrow Wednesday June 6, 2007 at the Diocesan headquarters at Mican.
The Guest of Honour will be Prof. Tarsis Kabwegyere, the Minister of Relief and Disaster Preparedness.
We call for your prayer so that the Lord guides this meeting

Rev. Willy Akena
Diocesan Information Officer/Bishop’s Chaplain
0772 667 334

List of atrocities in Northern Uganda coming soon

Dominic Ongwen(LRA)one of the interdicted commander,Lucky Kidega (UPDF)commander, Walter Ochora (Resident District Commissioner Gulu and Bishop Nelson Onono-Onweng during one of the meeting with the rebels in the Bush last year. Photo by Rev.Willy Akena

We are happy that the peace talk in Juba is on track. Given this trend we hope a settlement will be reached. Now the two parties are discussing agenda number 3 which talks about Reconciliation and Accountability. This is the most difficult agenda because it involves discussing the Acholi Traditional System of Mato Oput, Amnesty Law and of course the ICC among others. As it stands now the ICC seems to be carrying more weight and a centre of controversy. The LRA delegation are demanding cancellation of the ICC indictment before signing of this Agenda while the government position is that the Agreement has to be signed first then the ICC.
People in the camps are optimistic that peace will return to Northern Uganda. Although majority are still in the camps, while visiting their original homes and involved in small scale agricultural activities.
In another related development the Acholi Parliamentary Group is to release a dossier on the atrocities committed by the LRA and the Government since 1986. According to the New Vision story of Tuesday 5, 2007 Hon. Reagan Okumu said the dossier were compiled by both local and international organizations.