UGANDA

NORTHERN CONFLICTS
by and did nothing, or in some cases supported the warring factions. The Museveni
Government responded to Kony’s insurgency with both military operations and a
strategy of relocating the majority of the northern population into ‘protected villages’ or
Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps. By 2005, approximately 2 million people in the
Acholi sub-region, 200,000 people in the Teso sub-region, 41,000 people in West Nile,
and 33% of the population in the Lango sub-region were displaced due to the conflict. 336
In response to pressure from civil society actors, and several previous attempts at peace
talks, the Government and the LRA leadership convened for negotiations in Juba in
2006, which resulted in a ceasefire. 337 Though the Juba Peace Talks continued for two
more years, and were hailed as a landmark toward ending the conflict, a final peace
accord was never signed. Though the LRA had honoured the ceasefire and not resumed
activities in northern Uganda, it is still active in the DRC, Central African Republic and
South Sudan. Participants voiced concerns that Kony’s fighters could return to terrorize
them. They also commented on the deep impacts of the war, describing the daily felt
consequences of prolonged disempowerment, dependency, economic marginalization,
lack of education, spoilt community relations and physical and psychological wounds,
and stressed that they continue to advocate for the return of abductees still in captivity.
67. Pigi-Ligi War (1988 - present)
The Pigi-Ligi War, sometimes called by participants as Pigi-Luge War (“disturbing or
haunting spirits”), is the war between the living and the spirits of the dead. The participants
believed it started in 1988 in Bucoro, Awach sub-county, Gulu District, because of the
innocent blood that was shed during the numerous massacres and killings by both the
NRA and the LRA. 338 In Adjumani district, Civil Society and Local Government participants
further explained that this spiritual war, called jojok in the Alur language, is waged by
the spirits of the dead in communities that were greatly affected by LRA attacks. 339 This
war seems to extend throughout northern Uganda, especially where brutal killings and
massacres took place, such as in Mucwini in Kitgum, Atiak in Amuru, Acholpii in Pader,
Lukodi in Gulu and Barlonyo in Lira districts. 340
The living are reported to have been physically and verbally attacked by the spirits during
day- or night-time, resulting in numerous formerly displaced people being forced to flee
to either the former Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps or to their relatives in urban
centres. Participants stated that the spirits attack both children and adults, inflicting
strange sicknesses, madness, nightmares and confusion. There have even been reports
of spirits wrestling with or strangling the living.
336 Research conducted in Gulu, Kitgum, Pader, Adjumani, Arua, Hoima, Soroti and Lira Districts
337 Uganda Human Rights Commission (2011) The dust has not yet settled: Victims’ views on the right to
remedy and reparation, a report from the Greater North of Uganda. p. 55
338 Pressure from international donors on the Government of Uganda to seek ways to end the conflict had
also been increasing. In 2003, the conflict had gained international attention when Jan Egeland, the UN
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs had called the crisis in northern Uganda “the biggest
forgotten, neglected humanitarian emergency in the world today”. See Mareike Schomerus, “Internatinoal
Involvement and Incentives for Peacemaking in Northern Uganda”, accessed at: http://www.c-r.org/sites/
c-r.org/files/Accord%2019_25Internationalinvolvementandincentivesforpeacemaking_2008_ENG.pdf
339 Research conducted in Gulu District
340 Research conducted in Adjumani District
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