Bishop Gakumba “demystifies” Awere Hills

Climbing the hill

Bishop Johnson Baptizing on the Hill
UPDF Soldiers patrolling Awere Hills during the LRA war



Written by Acholi Times Correspondent

Monday, 26 September 2011 01:16
Gulu
The Anglican Gulu Bishop Johnson Gakumba last Sunday climbed Awere Hills and baptized four children as a way of demystifying Joseph Kony’s alleged spiritual powers.
It claimed the Lord’s Resistance Army rebel leader Gen Joseph Kony turned Awere Hills, located about 60km south-east of Gulu town along the Gulu-Moroto Road, an epicentre of his two-decade brutal war.
Furthermore, it is alleged Kony received instructions to start the war while atop Awere Hills and frequently visited the area to allegedly speak to his spirits on how to defeat the government forces and sustain the war.
The LRA rebel leader, who hails from Odek village in Awere sub-county in Omoro county; just a few meters from the Awere Hills, was also reportedly using the place for treating his fighters using water and herbs from the hills.
Bishop Gakumba on Sunday baptized four children- Jonhson Ouma, Geoffrey Kinyera, Francis Watmon, and Eunice Lakot on top of the hills, in what he said was a sign that the hills are no longer a source of fear and suffering.
Quoting from the Bible, the bishop said “the rock is God’s creation and He has given full authority for human beings to benefit from it.”
George Aligech Lapir, a resident of the area says that no one believed that the hills had some supernatural powers but they became famous when Kony launched his rebellion from the area in 1987. Lapir says apart from the Eastern side having foot marks, there is nothing peculiar about the 100m tall hills. He said that propaganda has tarnished the name of the area and that no God could have given Kony instructions on the Hill.
The top of the hills was left unattended throughout the two-decade war until late in 2009, when it became clear that Kony would not come back to the area to consult his alleged mediums.