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How Vincent Otti was Killed

Vincent Otti leads a delagation of the LRA 2006



By Henry Mukasa
and Els De Temmerman

“WHAT crime have I committed? Are you really going to kill me? All along, I have been so good to you. Why can’t you tell me my mistake? May God help you.” These were the last words of the LRA’s former second-in-command, Vincent Otti, when he was facing the firing squad outside Joseph Kony’s defence in Garamba National Park on October 2.

As his executioner, Buk Abudema, ordered: “Fire!”, Otti bowed his head and started praying. In a bizarre twist of fate, the man who had commanded numerous executions himself, the most notorious being the Atiak killing in 1995 in which over 200 people were shot dead, found himself uttering the same words as many of his victims.

In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Vision, Sunday Otto, one of the commanders who was present during the execution and has since defected, revealed that Otti was killed by eight bullets which were fired by Capt. Ogwal. “Then Capt. Okumu Dombolo emptied his magazine into the already dead body.”

Q: You told the press upon your return 10 days ago that Vincent Otti was dead. Did you witness his death? A: I can confirm that Vincent Otti was killed on October 2 at 10:00am at a place called Anida, 300m from Kony’s defence. He was killed together with Lt. Col. Ben Accelam and Capt. Alfred Otim. Some people are trying to confuse the public, claiming that Otti is alive. But I have evidence because I came from there.

Q: What happened exactly?
A: It all started on September 25. That day, Kony and Otti met the Acholi paramount chief and delegates of the LRA team, including Martin Ojul, at Ri-Kwangba. I returned to our base in Garamba with Kony’s group. Otti came back later. We reached the main defence, called Boo, where the rebels have a large garden, on September 30. The next day, we moved to Kony’s defence, three miles away. On the way, Kony called Otti on his satellite phone. He told him to leave Ri-Kwangba and assemble at the main defence in Boo with all his officers and fighters. On October 1, Kony started to mobilise some troops, whom he put on stand-by. Three groups were prepared: Hapu, Independent and Kony’s security. I was attached as intelligence officer to Independent. The soldiers were armed with B10 bombs, KPM and assault rifles and taken to the compound of Otto Agweng, Kony’s chief security officer.

That day, Kony called for a meeting with the officers who were with him. Kwoyelo arrived and was immediately put under arrest. Adjumani was asked to tie Kwoyelo up. He tied him in a terrible way — kandoya (three-piece)-style. The next moment, Adjumani himself was put at gunpoint. He looked very surprised. As he was ordered to sit down, he pulled his gun out and started firing at random. This prompted Maj. Arop and Capt. Ogwal, to fire back. He died instantly. A sergeant, called Ojok, also died in the fire-exchange, while another soldier, Ocuc, got wounded.

Q: Why was Adjumani killed?
A: He was close to Otti. Kony wanted him arrested because he feared he would leak the plan to Otti. But he resisted arrest. That is why he was killed.

Q: When did Otti arrive?
A: He arrived around 9:00am that day. He called Kony, informing him that they had reached Boo. Kony told him to assemble all the commanders and come for a meeting at his base the next morning. He called me for a meeting shortly afterwards. “You know what is happening within the LRA,” he said. “What I am going to do should not scare you.” He told me that the LRA was divided and that most of the troops were more loyal to Otti than to him. He complained that his orders were no longer being followed. He had ordered his fighters to go and abduct but they refused because Otti had argued that this would spoil the talks. He had proposed to move to the Central African Republic but Otti had refused.

“Who is the leader when I issue orders and people don’t follow them, but instead listen to Otti?” he wondered. He said he was very confident in what the spirit had told him, that he knew the Government was planning to kill him and they were using the peace talks to have him arrested and killed. “They deceive you and try to convince you to come out and then they kill you,” he said. “Anybody who believes in peace talks will die in the same way as John Garang, who was killed by the UN.” He then confined to me that he was going to arrest Otti.

Q: What advice did you give him? advised Kony against a constant reshuffle of the peace team and unnecessary dismissal of members. I told him if he did not trust the delegates, he should select some of his commanders to join the team. I also advised him against killing Otti. But he said he was the father of the movement. Without him, the movement would not exist, whereas it could do without the others.

When I returned home, I knew something terrible was going to happen. Later that day, Kony issued an order that nobody moves anywhere, not even to fetch water or food. Anybody found moving would be shot on sight. Troops were deployed on the path leading to Otti’s place. Kony wanted to ensure that there was no leakage.

Q: What happened the next morning?
A: At 7:00am, Kony called his four brigadiers — Ocan Bunia, Nicksman Opuk, Dominic Ongwen and Buk Abudema, as well his chief security. He briefed them: “When Otti comes, you must make sure you arrest him,” he instructed them. Kony then evacuated his family to another defence, about three miles away. He himself went to hide in a simsim garden.

Otti entered Kony’s compound at 9:30am. As was the practice when he was meeting the chairman, he left his escorts behind and entered unarmed. He was saluted by Abudema.

“Where is our father?” he asked. “He is bathing,” Abudema replied. To which Otti said: “Let me then first go and change.” He moved to his restroom in the same compound, from where he called Kony.

“A bird died in my house. What could that mean?” he asked the chairman. “Don't worry,” Kony replied. “That shows that we have already defeated the Government.”

Otti took the report on the September 25 meeting out of his bag and walked back to Kony’s house. He was awaited by Odhiambo, who had accompanied him from Boo, Abudema, Ocan Bunia and Agweng.

Abudema drew his pistol, pointed it at Otti and said: “You are under arrest.” The others, too, drew their pistols and aimed at Otti. Simultaneously, all the soldiers who had been deployed came out and pointed their guns at Otti. Otti was seated on a chair. Opuk moved over and removed his wristwatch and his shirt, which he used to tie him up. Abudema ordered him to sit on the floor. His shoes were taken off. He was then carried into Kony’s hut, where he was made to sit on the floor. His captors got a rope and tied him thoroughly. They tore a part of his shirt and used it to blindfold him.

Q: How did Otti react?
A: He was pleading with them: “What wrong have I done to you? If I have done something bad, why can’t the chairman tell me? Have you forgotten all the good things I did for you?” They sent Capt. Otto Ladere to go and call Ben Accelam, who was sitting under a tree at the house of Dominic Ongwen. As Accelam entered Kony’s compound, he, too was put at gunpoint and tied up. He was then taken into another hut in the same compound. The third person called in was Alfred Otim. He, too, was arrested, beaten and tied. His arrestors hurled insults at him.

“You, people from Atiak, you always tell everybody that you are bright. Today we shall see where your intelligence will take you.” At that point, Kony called Abudema on satellite phone. “Are these people all there? Have you arrested them?” he asked.

Abudema confirmed that the arrests had been made. Kony then asked to talk to Odhiambo. He told him he did not want to hear Otti’s name again. “They should all be killed. And you must do it without delay. If not, you will be the next victims,” he told him. As Odhiambo got the instructions, he relayed them to Abudema as Kony listened. The cloth was removed from Otti’s eyes. The three were taken out of Kony’s compound, some 300m behind the defence. Otti was stood against a tree. Acellam and Otim were taken to a different position, 50m away. Capt. Ogwal and Capt. Okumu Dombolo, each holding a PKM, took up position in front of Otti, while Angwen and 2nd Lt. Tabu Omoro faced the other two. Odhiambo pretended to sympathise with Otti. “What has Otti done? Why don’t you also kill me?” he asked.

Q: What did Otti say?
A: He kept on begging and pleading: “What crime have I committed? Are you really going to kill me? All along, I have been so good to you and the movement. Why can’t you tell me what I did wrong? May God help you!”

When Abudema ordered: “Fire!” Otti bowed his head and started praying. Ogwal fired first. He killed him with eight bullets. Then Okumu emptied his magazine into the already dead body. Agweng started firing at the other side, after which Tabu joined in, killing Accelam and Otim. Their trousers were removed and they remained in their underpants. Kony returned from the garden later. He asked whether the job had been done. Otti’s escorts were disarmed. Kony then summoned everybody from the rank of second lieutenant for a meeting at 2:00pm.

“From today on, the indiscipline in the LRA should end,” he told us. “If I hear anybody talking about the killing of Otti and the others, that person will also be killed.” He said his rank of general was not given to him for praying but for killing. “There is no general in the world who did not kill. He then announced he was going to change all the systems in the LRA. He also instructed us not to bury Otti and the others for three days.

Q: Were they ever buried?
A: They were buried on the evening of October 4. Lt. Col. Abucingo was ordered to carry out the task, together with some kadogo (child soldiers). They were placed in one grave. One of the standby brigades was sent to Otti’s house to remove all his property.

Otti’s seven wives were taken by force and distributed to the other commanders the same day. Of the four adult wives, one was given to Abudema, one to Odhiambo, one to Okuti and one to Kony’s brother, Maj. Olanya. The three underage girls were handed over to Kony.

Q: Who else was arrested in this operation?
A: Apart from Kwoyelo, four other officers were arrested: Maj. Okot Atiak, Capt. Ojara Pope, Lt. Kidega Pak-Pala and Ben Accelam’s brother, Capt. Vincent Okema. They were still under arrest when we fled on November 7.

Q: What is Caesar Accelam’s fate?
A: Caesar Accelam was arrested in June and released on the day Otti was killed.

Q: You and Richard Odong-kau had come out earlier and received amnesty. Why did you go back? A: We did not return to fight, but to persuade the LRA fighters to come out following Otti’s call to prepare for peace talks. When we came out the first time, Otti got in touch with us. He wanted to talk to Rwot Acana and Bishop Odama to initiate peace talks with the Government. He also wanted to find out what the Amnesty Act was about. We contacted the Rwot and Bishop Odama, who put us in touch with the chairman of the Amnesty Commission.

We were also connected to Riek Machar, who sent us to Kony with a letter. This led to the first meeting between Machar and Otti in April 2006 and the second with Kony in May. After that meeting, Kony said: “Remain here and tell us what is going on.” We were co-ordinating the peace talks. From the beginning of the talks, Otti had said he was willing to bring all the fighters home.

Q: Will Kony ever sign a peace deal?
A: Signing from where? Otti was the one who persuaded him to go to Ri-Kwangba. He was also the one who pushed him to meet UN special envoy Joachim Chissano. At every assembly, Kony feared he would be killed. He would sit in every meeting with his pistol cocked.

Q: What is the future of the peace talks?
A: I am very skeptical. There are many events happening. Ban Ki-Moon (UN Secretary General) is calling for the arrest of Kony. And Otti is dead. He was the man behind the peace talks. He was the one who persuaded Kony.

Q: What is the situation like in the LRA camp after Otti’s death?
A: People are fearful, demoralised and disturbed. They had hope in Otti. They believed Otti would take them back home.


Published on: Sunday, 9th December, 2007



See full interview here

Some 50 metres away, two other commanders accused of being close to Otti were executed simultaneously. Lt. Col. Agweng, Kony’s chief of security, fired the bullets that killed Ben Accelam and Alfred ‘Record’ Otim.

“Their trousers were removed and they were left in their underpants,” Otto narrated.

Kony was not present during the execution. He had vacated his family to another place and was hiding in a nearby simsim garden. When he returned, he called all his officers and instructed them not to bury the bodies for three days. He also warned that anybody who talked about Otti’s death would be killed.

The same day, according to the LRA defector, Kony sent one of his standby brigades to Otti’s house to remove all his property. “Otti’s seven wives were taken by force and immediately distributed to the other commanders.” The adult wives were given as a reward to those who had been involved in the execution plan, while the three underage girls were handed over to Kony.

Otti was eventually buried on the evening of October 4 by some kadogos (child soldiers), thousands of whom he had abducted over the years.

See full interview here



Published on: Sunday, 9th December, 2007

United Kingdom moved said Queen

Queen of England Elizabeth II
The Queen's speech
Your Excellency President Museveni and Mrs Museveni, Right Honourable Speaker, Honourable Members of Parliament, Ladies and Gentlemen
Prince Philip and I have many fond memories of our last visit together to Uganda. In the years since, your country has made considerable advances in spite of periods of adversity.

I expect that what has helped sustain modern Uganda is the attribute that was so evident in 1954, and again today, in the generous manner we have been welcomed: the great warmth and friendliness of its people. We are delighted to be here once more.

It gives me great pleasure to address this House today in recognition of the importance of parliamentary democracy to the Commonwealth as a whole. For Uganda, the deliberations and decisions of this House, together with your respect for the rule of law, have had and will continue to have an essential bearing on the country's success in addressing many serious challenges.
The United Kingdom is actively committed to supporting Uganda's efforts to deepen its democracy.

Many in the United Kingdom have been moved by the plight of the people of northern Uganda who have been suffering from the devastating conflict there.
The Ugandan Government's efforts to resolve this conflict peacefully are therefore especially welcome. Uganda's regional role is also widely appreciated.

In particular, the contribution made to peacekeeping operations in Somalia has been a tribute to the courage and professionalism of Uganda's armed forces.

I am also pleased that the educational and cultural ties between our two countries are now stronger than ever before. Through its collaborative school projects, the British Council is bringing together more than one million children across Africa and the United Kingdom.

Indeed, I very much look forward to visiting later this week one of the Ugandan schools participating in the 'Connecting Classrooms' programme which does so much to increase our knowledge and understanding of each other's societies among young people.

In the years since Prince Philip and I were last here, one change in particular has come to scar Uganda and, indeed, much of Africa. The scourge of HIV infection and AIDS has touched the lives of so many of Uganda's people. It is difficult sometimes, when the sorrow associated with this disease is so profound, to avoid a sense of despair.

And yet there are growing numbers of people and organisations whose work gives cause for real hope. Today I visited the Mildmay Centre which sets a remarkable example in the provision of care and relief for those who are ill as well as in educating people about how to protect themselves and their families.

The role of centres such as this, which the Government of Uganda has done so much to encourage, will be central to achieving our common aim of controlling this cruel disease.

The continued and enlightened support of all those in authority, including this House, will play an essential part in supporting these efforts.
One hundred years ago, Sir Winston Churchill, who much later became my first Prime Minister, made a celebrated visit to Uganda which he was moved to describe as 'the Pearl of Africa'.

In common with other visitors to this country over the years, he had been struck by how Uganda has been truly gifted by nature.
Sir Winston had visited Munyonyo, then just 'a jetty and a few sheds', where, most fittingly, the present British Prime Minister will join his fellow Commonwealth Heads of Government this weekend.
Whether the individual links are long-standing or more recent, the United Kingdom remains a committed friend of Uganda.

Prince Philip and I have reason to recall our own associations over the years with the greatest affection and extend to you all our good wishes for the years to come.

Journey of Healing

Fr. Michael Lapsley, depicting the artificial hands while talking to the Mothers Union. Photo by Rev.Willy Akena 14/11/2007



By Rev.Willy Akena
The Director Institute for Healing of Memories Fr Michael Lapsley is in Gulu to meet with the victims of the LRA War. A victim of the Apartheid himself, Fr Michael lost his hands and eye in a letter bomb in South Africa. Below is his address to the Mothers Union of the Diocese of Northern Uganda who are attending a training on Micro Finance, organized by the Office of the Provincial Mothers Union Worker Rev. Canon Hellen Oneka. Fr Michael is due to meet with those whose limbs were cut or maimed in Northern Uganda and share with them his experience and explore ways of forgiveness and reconciliation. His visit to Northern Uganda has been initiated by the Diocese of Northern Uganda under the department of Peace and Development Headed by Rev. Patrick Lumumba.
Fr. Michael appealed to the people in Northern Uganda to forgive and reconcile in order to travel the journey of healing.

I am delighted to be here with you.
I greet you in the name of Jesus who is our saviour. May be because you want hear the message twice; I am delighted to have this opportunity with my brother Ntsikelelo Mateta. I am particularly delighted to be here in northern part of Uganda because I know that it is part of Uganda that has known war and pain.
We know that we had war for the last 20 years and we know that there has been a great cost, many people like me have lost limbs, we know that there are not only physical wounds of the body but wounds of the spirit, whenever we experience suffering we ask ourselves were is God?. There is a song that black people in S African sang for many decades, SENZENI NA? The song meaning is what we have done, why are we suffering and in South Africa people say is it because of the colour of our skin. Whenever as human being we suffer we try to make sense, why do we suffer, sometimes there are no easy answers, sometime we say it must be God’s will, but am not sure about that, some time we blame God for the things that we as human beings do to others so for the things we have done to others, like a man who is drank dives a car and hit a child and a child dies, that is not God’s will, but because the man was drank, some people pick a gun and go for war that is not God’s will, in my case it was the last white government in South Africa that sent a letter bomb, so because of the bomb I lost my hands and my eye,
Sometime when I meet people today they say, that was God’s will; its not true God does not sent letter bombs to people. I was sent letter bomb by human beings not by God.
But where is God, God did not tell me that is a letter bomb do not open it. But to me God kept his promise, the great promise in the bible that I am with you always even to the end of the age. So when I was bombed I felt the presence of God with me, Af
I know God is wi
After I was bomb I had a choice, Am I going to have hatred and bitterness all my life or am I going to travel a journey of healing, am I going to spend my life looking for those who sent the letter bomb to me, am looking for a way of revenge, am I going to spend my time looking for those who sent the letter bomb. One of the great men of SA said
“Those who think of themselves as victims eventually becomes the victimizers of others”
If we have poison inside our heart it has to go somewhere.
But in my case many people prayed for me, loved and supported me Christians but also people of other faiths as well, people sent me letters of hope and encouragement from all over the world that is how God helped me to travel the journey of healing.

I realized that if I was full of hatred then I would be a victim for ever, they have failed to kill the body but I would have killed the soul.
I thought if I were to be angry all the time then I will be in pain
I also had to make a choice, will I travel a journey of healing or not, so God has called me to a new journey, I was part of the journey to help free South Africa from Apartheid people who struggle to release our people. Today I am traveling my new journey, what is my new journey, it’s to listen to the pain of others, listen to people and travel the journey of healing.

Sometime as Christians we say I lay my hands on you and you are healed.
There are still many steps to take. Sometime we think healing is like taking tablets and everything will be okay. But people who have been hurt deeply the journey of healing takes sometime, the mothers union have an important role to play, part of the role is to travel your own journey of healing, but offer yourselves to listen to the pain of others not just once but again and again, sometimes as Christians we talk too much and we don not listen enough, we have to learn to preach less and listen more, listen not only with our ears but also with our hearts.
So I must thank you for what you are already doing, healing is part of God’s work; God invites us to work with him in the healing process. Thanks for listening to me. Amen

Women at risk as they return home

Two will become one: This woman needs the husband to support her in the return process. Photo by Rev.Willy Akena

Now that peace is around the corner, women are more willing to venture into the bushes than men. In Alero IDP camp in Amuru district, women have taken the initiative to return to homesteads as reported by Julius Odokonyero, a primary school teacher in the area. Accordingly, they have cleared homesteads, and are participating actively in digging, collecting firewood and many other domestic chores. Interestingly, many of them have now formed village groups to help them accomplish their tasks collectively.
Their vision is to see that the work they do carries a bigger impact than individual participation. Unlike the women, men are instead busy drinking in the camp, with some starting their drinking sprees from as early as 8:00am!
According to Odokonyero, men should realise that the onus of success in family and community existence lies on them as well as on women. It is therefore important that men help women in accomplishing the return process as things go back to normalcy.