A collection of Maggie Alerotek's articles have been compiled to pay tribute to her work.

Museveni, Child-Mothers Need Protection not Crocodile Tears

By Maggie Alerotek
Gulu, Uganda
August 31, 2004

Prior to his trip to Seattle, USA to attend the Uganda North American Association conference, to be held on September 2-5, 2004, President Museveni of Uganda is shedding copious crocodile tears in a bid to win the support of Northern Ugandans who are still furious with him for failing to protect their lives and property during the past 18 years in a war with rebels. While he claims to be sorry for practicing sectarian politics that made the war drag on for 18 years and counting, he is still busy blaming donor countries for his failure to protect the citizens in Northern Uganda. His only condition to reconcile with the rebels is if they come begging on their knees for forgiveness. Meanwhile as the story below shows, victims of his sectarian politics are still suffering as before.

Mothers all over the world have hopes and dreams for their children. In ordinary circumstances, such hopes and dreams often come true. However, that cannot be said of a special class of mothers in Northern Uganda. They are child-mothers created by the war, an 18-year-old war, between President Museveni and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) led by Joseph Kony. The war in the region destroyed the entire infrastructure, escalated HIV/AIDS infection, created bad governance, and has incarcerated 1.6 million internally displaced people (IDPS) in some 66 concentration camps. Political repression, illiteracy, ignorance, disease and abject poverty have become the order of the day. How child-mothers are to realize their hopes and dreams and those of their children under such conditions is one of the major questions of the day.

Whereas former abducted boys and men are being forced by abject poverty and coerced by the government to join the newly created 105th Battalion to fight the rebels in the bush, the child mothers have to fend for themselves and their children. With their parents murdered, homes burnt, relatives not willing to accommodate them and the fathers of their children either dead or unable to live up to their responsibilities, life is extremely hard for these child-mothers as they look for ways of raise their 'families' single-handedly as single mothers.

"I have three children and I don't know where their father is. I last saw him when I was pregnant with the third child. My parents were murdered in Pagak camp and my relatives cannot take care of me because their conditions are just as bad as mine. I just have to struggle on my own and see that my children do not suffer. I pray that some Good Samaritan may come to my rescue," says Evelyn Acha, a 19-year-old who was abducted when she was eleven years old.

These child-mothers, aged between 15-23 years, lived in captivity for more than ten years after unwillingly being taken to Sudan and indoctrinated into the ways of the Kony rebels, where they were used as sex objects, raped, defiled and forced to be 'wives' to rebel commanders. Even those not yet in their teens were not spared. They come back with malnourished children, and others with pregnancies to face the challenges of raising their children single-handedly. They now live in fear and misery, constantly reliving their maltreatment, living permanently with the knowledge of the sexual abuse they experienced. In the bush they faced the burden of unwanted pregnancies and the risk of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS--estimated to be as high as 30%, which is their major worry. And due to the unhygienic conditions in the bush, many of their children come back with many severe skin infections and illnesses.

Because of the breakdown in the social order, nobody really knows the exact number of child-mothers. However, according to statistics at World Vision, Centre of Uganda Children of War and Gulu Support the Children Organization (GUSCO), a conservative estimate puts the number of child-mothers who came through these centers in Gulu at over 4,000. The total number for the whole of Northern Uganda is unknown, but is obviously greater than 4,000. An underestimated 20,000 have been abducted, 12,000 in this year alone.

Apart from the incomprehensible psychological and physical trauma that the child-mothers have experienced in the bush, they have also lost their self-esteem and confidence. With their self-confidence and esteem lost in the bush, the girls find it extremely hard to integrate themselves into their communities. Having been violated, they feel stigmatized and ashamed of themselves even though they were just victims of the war. They also feel that their own communities and relatives will reject them as unworthy of living with them.

"It’s so hard for me especially with my four children. I find it hard interacting with people who have never been to the bush because I feel they belong to a different world so I prefer to be on my own. Besides I feel embarrassed with all these children, approaching someone for help. We are only surviving by the grace of God," says Rose Akech, a child mother, now a night commuter.

Of course, some of the NGOs such as the World Vision and GUSCO have stepped in to help the child-mothers with counseling. After a short period of psychosocial counseling at the reception centers of World Vision, and GUSCO respectively, the child-mothers are expected to find alternative homes. World Vision gives them only a period of one to two weeks for those without serious complications and three to six months for those with special cases, which are normally health related. Micheal Oruni, the Center co-coordinator says the numbers of child-mothers being rescued are so overwhelming that they do not have enough resources to cater for them for a long time.

"We ask them to find shelter with relatives, and then we give them basic skills training in tailoring and catering so that after they can be able to find employment and stand on their own. We also pay for their children in schools. For those who completely have nowhere to go, we rent for them for a period of six months when they, too, are expected to become independent. However, we do not say this aloud to this group for fear that they will all say they have nowhere to go," comments Michael Oruni. He also added that the organization does not have enough money to send all these child-mothers back to school.

"Everybody donates material items but we need money more than that because these children have to go back to school. Even the Universal Primary Education (UPE) comes with costs that they cannot meet if they don’t have money. My appeal is that people should donate money not clothes or blankets, they already have enough of that," said Oruni.

"We do not want them to suffer. That’s why we always evaluate their progress. We also pay those who want formal education up to senior six and the rest acquire skills in hotel management or tailoring. They are our second families and so we see that their needs are well catered for," says Tiboa.

Not all child-mothers pass through reception centers. On the one hand, some child-mothers end up homeless on the streets when they are rejected by GUSCO because they do not meet the criteria for entering into their program. On the other hand, some of them prefer the anonymity of the streets where they at least control their own lives in spite of the hardships of street life. Typical of homeless persons, during the day, they are always seen with bundles and loads on their heads, babies clinging on their backs, together with other little children, some of whom also carry smaller children and mats or blankets moving about looking for food, help in kind or money.

Some of the child mothers become night commuters. This is an incredible phenomenon that has developed in the last few years. Mainly children from the areas surrounding urban centers commute to urban centers to sleep on the verandas of shops in Gulu town as well as other affected urban towns in the North, for fear of being abducted by the LRA. Early in the morning, they move back to their homes. However, for some of the child-mothers home is the street. A must see video entitled, “The Invisible Children” has recently been made documenting the lives of the night commuters whose number throughout the North is estimated to be over 44, 000 according to UNICEF. (Note added by the editor, “Unfortunately, this video was subsequently edited at the behest of the Museveni regime to the point that it became unworthy of this statement urging people to watch the original video”). 

Nighty Achii, then eight, was abducted from their home in Pece by the rebels. Now she is 18 and has two children. After giving birth to the second child, she never saw her 'husband' again.

"He went to fight but never came back. He was Lieutenant Milton Akena. After two days, I was told UPDF soldiers killed him. I cried not for him, but for my children who would grow up in misery. not knowing who their father was. When I came back, I stayed with World Vision for three months but I had to find a place of my own since they could not keep me there forever. My parents were murdered and my relatives are too poor to help me, they live in IDPs concentration camps. I have to survive on my own and raise my children. It is not easy but somehow our lives have to move on. I believe in God and I know one day He will have mercy on us," said Nighty tearfully.

Although 'time heals all wounds' these girls might never heal! They live in constant fear of being re-abducted; they feel so insecure as poverty bites them. They want to go back to school, but the few organizations sponsoring such child mothers cannot take all of them; others have nowhere to live with their babies. Still others, who desperately need an education, can’t return to school because daycare facilities are needed to look after their pre-school aged children. Education must be tailored to their needs and be practical, for example: how to start and run a micro-enterprise business. Some of the girls suffer from trauma related to attention deficit, while others fear sitting in a classroom with much younger girls who have not gone through what they have.

The challenging question is about what the future holds for these child-mothers considering their situation. Even though there are organizations willing to send them back to school, they cannot provide for all of them because of their increasing numbers. They have the right to education, good living and protection. Who will give them these rights or dry their tears, ease their pains and heal their wounds?

The Project Officer for Youth Empowerment and Livelihood-Agency for Cooperation and Research in Development (ACORD), Mr. Denis Okema says that, ACORD gives out revolving funds of 2 million shillings (about US $1,000) to organized and productive groups who are taught modern methods of bee-keeping for example. After an initial loan, a micro project is started and after about six months the group is expected to repay the loan so that others can benefit from the same program.

"They are formerly abducted children, orphans, single parents, needy and school drop outs. They definitely qualify to benefit from the program. The money is there and will be given to each group who has identified a project. For the child-mothers, we are finalizing with the agencies representing them so that they are organized into groups," said Dr. Otara. However first priority is that child mothers, whose relatives have been killed, must be found a place to stay.

These child mothers are the epitome of the human tragedy of the war in the north of Uganda. They, as victims of the most vicious circumstances, are destitute, orphans, needy, mothers of child-headed households, victims of rape and defilement, night commuters, and have had their education ruined at such a young age when they were abducted. Whatever categories they fall under, these girls need so much help to fully integrate into their communities and move on with their lives and raise their children.

If President Museveni would listen and be sincere about his apology, he ought to know that the welfare of these child-mothers and many other victims of his war with the rebels cannot be predicated on the support for his bid to stay in power for life as former dictator Idi Amin tried to do before being overthrown in 1979. These victims of the 18 year old war need real help not his (President Museveni’s) copious crocodile tears.

 

Is UPDF Protecting Or Haunting IDPs?

The Monitor (Kampala), April 27, 2005

Margaret Alerotek Aloyo

The persistent civil war between UPDF and LRA in northern Uganda that has shattered the economy, education system, healthcare infrastructures, eroded the Acholi culture and continues to inflict unbearable sufferings on the people is turning its callousness on the women's bodies.

As the LRA continues to ruthlessly attack civilians, burn and loot their villages, cut their lips and abduct their children, mutilate them, the UPDF who should be their protectors, on the other hand are busy raping and defiling the women and girl children while robbing them of their meager foods.

It was heart wrenching listening to a report by Uganda BBC correspondent- Will Rose about a gang rape by the government soldiers in Kitgum as alleged by the area woman MP Jane Akwero.

Just as Akwero posed the question to the speaker of parliament, that, when the battlefield turns impossible, should the soldiers turn their frustrations by abusing the women bodies?

With such revelations, how can government continue condemning the LRA's actions when her own soldiers are also great pains on the people's flesh?

It is big shames that bodies who are paid to enforce law, watch on as violations of human rights like in the IDP camps continues unabated.

Pauline, a woman according to Will Rose's story who was gang raped by the seven soldiers must be very traumatized and with no more self esteem. How will she ever walk with her head high? Although they say time heals wounds, Pauline's will never! It will always be fresh on her mind, as the replay of the rape torments her. Is that what the government means when she boasts of a professionalism in the army?

There are so many cases of sexual abuses on the IDP women committed by the mobile soldiers who probably keep on raping women wherever they go as they contract and transmit all kinds of STDs to people who cannot afford to treat them.

Reports from Lacor hospital indicate that northern region, now ranks in HIV/AIDS prevalence in Uganda. A medical officer at Gulu Hospital- (a government owned), revealed that most of the people who go for medical treatment of STDs when asked how they contracted the diseases, tell stories of being raped and defiled by UPDF soldiers.

"When you look into their eyes, you only see the pain and trauma they are fighting to suppress. Its so sad, girls as young as 12 being defiled. The government must do something to discipline the soldiers. They must protect the people not torment them," said the medical personnel who preferred anonymity.

Real fear exists on the part of the communities to report such cases to the concerned authorities. According to one of the camp leaders in the region, the people would rather suffer silently than be terrorized by the soldiers. He said that the people risk being brutally tortured if not killed if they dare report. Martin Opwonya, a local leader at Parabongo IDP camp in Gulu said that, cases of the soldiers sexually abusing both mothers and their daughters are very rampant.

The saddest thing is that, the husbands or fathers are always hands tied not being able to defend or protect their families. Opwonya said that the men are normally tortured if they try to safeguard the rights of their women or daughters. He said that when the soldiers are reported all they get are empty promises of 'investigations' and 'punishments' of the culprits. Opwonya said what normally happens after the so-called 'investigations', is that the culprits are instead transferred to another camp without being disciplined and they continue doing the same thing.

Human Rights Watch has constantly attacked the government on violations of human rights in northern Uganda. They have always cited cases of use of children in the army, sexual abuses and torture of civilians by the government soldiers. The government on her part has always adamantly but shamelessly denied such allegations.

But now with the sad facts by MP Jane Akwero a movement supporter at that, where even the soldiers went to the extent of almost raping a fellow man, what does the government have to say? Or what will be done to ensure that the IDPs are protected against such soldiers who have no sense of moral obligation. The Prime Minister, Apollo Nsibambi, said he was saddened by the soldiers' action and moved an immediate motion for an "investigation" to be carried out.

Shaban Bantariza told BBC that three culprits have been arrested due to the allegations. But lets hope that they will not be relocated to Gulu or Lira instead of being punished so that others may learn. Besides, sending army officials to investigate the crimes was not a good idea. It is only logical that the civilians cannot tell the truth due to fear. Independent bodies like human rights agencies should be the one to investigate.

According to Barney Afaku an advocate who some time back explained to the Acholi leaders about the ICC operation in the northern Uganda to investigate crimes committed against humanity, he said that cases of gang rapes in a war zone amounts to crimes against humanity and its penalty is live sentence if not death. The question we must ask ourselves, will justice transparently take its course?

Although there are cases of some of the women and girl children 'selling' their bodies to the soldiers to make ends meet, it is still unfair because their situations are vulnerable, and the soldiers must not take advantage of that! And as for defilement, the law is very clear, for any girl below 18 years with or without consent the penalty is death! The law if it is fair should not give audience to arguments that "the girls consented" it must consider their ages at the time of the defilement!

The voices and sufferings of the people of northern Uganda have been silenced for years, the world can not continue to sit back and watch the people especially children and women go through devastating experiences, it is now to act or never!

 

Monitor: Blaming spirits for IDP burning huts

By Margaret Alerotek Aloyo (26^th March, 2005)

The 19-year-old insurgency in northern Uganda, which continues to inflict unbearable pain on the people. Indeed as many say, it is the most forgotten human tragedy, and the world needs to pay more attention before the whole Acholi generation is wiped off planet earth.

As though the poverty, displacements, diseases, rape, murder and torture that haunt the people aren't problems enough, their congested makeshift grass thatched 'homes' are being consumed by fire caused by the high humidity in the dry seasons. Thousands have been left 'homeless' and now take refuge on the dirty compounds of the IDP camps.

The wet seasons threatening to take control will yet be another thorn in the IDPs' flesh!

The dwellers of Parabongo and Pabbo IDP camps both on Atyiak-Nimuli 32km and 45 km respectively are examples of IDPs whose lives are being hardened by a fire that doesn't give a damn to their heart-rending sufferings.

We headed to Pabbo IDP camp, and arrived at Parabongo IDP camp, only to be welcomed by smoking, roofless makeshift shelters! Children, women and men were all over the place, with hands over their heads in anguish. A group of young men were standing nearby, waiting to rescue any property of a hut befallen of a fire.

Already 10 huts had been burnt down in the early hours of the day, and we were to witness the burning of a few more. Reasoning with them natural forces like too much heat could be the cause of the fire was fruitless. They assured us that they have always made sure nothing that could cause a fire, like hot ash or matches, were left unattended to before leaving the huts, but in the end fire just ate up the huts.

"We have every reason to believe that evil spirits cause the fire. Three huts burn in less than a minute from different parts of the camp. And they start burning from inside and they happen to belong to those whose owners are not around. Just wait a few more minutes and decide whether we are making up these stories or not", says Vincent Komakech, a local leader.

Though it sounded crazy, the pleasure was all ours to wait, and like an answer to a prayer, a hut just next to us that was locked up, began to burn! First there was smoke inside the hut and then fire. Everyone just stood and watched, afraid to do anything due to the belief that it was the spirits of the dead at work, and they feared upsetting them. Since the owners of the huts themselves were not around, all their property went up in smoke.

"This is really incredible," was all the News Corps journalists could say!

Christine Oroma and Mark Okumu, occupants of one of the huts that got burnt in our presence, have four children. Christine was looking for food while Mark was in the trading center waiting for any opportunity to lift luggage for travellers to earn some money. When they arrived at the scene, only sadness and bitterness greeted them.

Christine broke down in tears and Mark, being a man, fought in vain to hide his emotions. The children stood beside their parents crying helplessly probably imagining how they will cope in the cold with no blanket to cover their bodies that barely have clothes.

"This war has to end because we can't go on suffering as though we are on a foreign land. With my hut burnt down, where will my children sleep? In the cold outside where we may get killed? Please someone must help us," lamented Mark tearfully.

According to the vice chairman of the camp, Vincent Okumu, 7,000 huts have been mysteriously burnt since January 2005. The inhabitants believe that it's the spirits of their fellow men who died in the cruel war punishing them. The people now sleep outside in the cold. They say even outside they are fearful of being burnt in their sleep.

"Bringing us here in the camps has brought us too many problems. This war is a curse on us. We are paying for the sins we never committed. We have to go back to our homes with or without permission. We can't take anymore of these problems," says Ladit Philipo.

When one comes face to face with the sufferings of the people, that is when things come into perspective. Fire is just one of their problems. Recently the camp was hit by a cholera epidemic. Wilson Kilara, the camp leader said that many people lost their lives due to the epidemic  besides the hunger and continued abductions and murders in and around the camp.

We left the camp for Pabbo as the Norwegian Refugees Council (NRC) was registering the people who would receive blankets and saucepans.

The situation at Pabbo presented no better consolation either! The sorrowful look in the eyes of the people was enough to tell that they were under no better condition. Eujenio Odoki, the camp leader narrated to us how fire destroyed four huts in thirty minutes. They too believed some kind of evil spirits were doing that to them.

"People keep saying that this is due to the excessive heat, but it also happens in the night when it's cool. We just don't understand this fire." Comments Eujenio.

The fire has so far destroyed more than 10,000 huts at Pabbo. Since many people believe that the cause was due to the congestion, the district leaders decided to decongest the camp into two more. But even with the decongestion, fire still breaks out.

Pabbo, being the largest camp with an estimated population of 67, 000 people, is probably the worst hit. 10 to 12 people share one hut. An elderly woman with nine children sat next to their burnt hut in grief. All their property had gone up into the flames.

"We all want to go back to our homes. We are tired of the continuous sufferings and being beggars," says Jackorino Labeja.

By the time we left Pabbo for Gulu town, the News Corps journalists admitted having one memorable experience in the IDP camps.

"It beats one's understanding why the international community can't do something to end this war. Maybe there are no economic interests to attract them?" the News Corps journalists wonder aloud.

The suffering of the IDPs is too sad. Although some of their needs like clothes, food and many others are being met; their most crucial need is PEACE so they can all go back to their homes. All efforts geared towards reaping peace must be supported, for these fragile and broken lives to also enjoy life while it lasts.

"There are loyal hearts, there are spirits brave, there are souls that are pure and true; then give the world the best you have, and the best will come back to you."

Let this inspiring quote from Madeline Bridges touch you to help the people of northern Uganda whose pain is often ignored or silenced.

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Surviving without their parents

World Vision News Archives – Search for Alerotek

September 24, 2007

Cyanide: Instant killer Margaret Aloyo Alerotek

In early August, a young and charming World Vision communication officer left home healthy, only to die after taking juice believed to have been laced with cyanide, Steven Candia reports

Investigations into the death in Gulu of World Vision International communication officer, Margaret Aloyo Alerotek, suggest that she was poisoned. Alerotek died early last month in Gulu Independent Hospital, where she had been rushed after collapsing at Binen Restaurant, moments after taking a glass of juice.

A colleague of hers, said to be closely related to a top World Bank official with whom she shared the drink, is said to have vomited immediately after taking it, but survived. When contacted for comment over the investigations, northern region CID chief Vincent Ouma declined to comment.

“That is a high-profile case and I don’t want to talk about it. I am under strict instructions not to say anything because it may jeopardise our investigations. Why don’t you wait? There will be an appropriate time when the Police will issue a statement,” Ouma said.

Asked about the forensic results, Ouma was elusive.
“Are they out? I don’t know anything about the test,” he said.
However, sources close to Alerotek’s relatives said the results were out and indicated that she had died of cyanide poisoning.
Medical books describe cyanide as a lethal and rapidly acting poison. Massive doses produce loss of consciousness, leading to death.

Considered the “movie star” of deadly poisons due to its popularity in crime fiction and movies, this poison is produced from certain bacteria, fungus and plants. Exposure to it by inhalation or ingestion leads to seizures, cardiac arrest, and ultimately death.

In other circles, it is referred to as the assassin’s poison. Immediately after the Binen incident, the food, juice and vomit were flown to Kampala for examination at the Government Analytical Laboratories.

Whereas the food was from the restaurant, sources said the juice was not. Alerotek is said to have come with the juice which sources said had been prepared at home, in the morning by her mother.
With the juice in the bottle, she left home and proceeded to the office and worked till lunch time, when she was driven to the restaurant, leaving the bottle in the car.

It was while she was having lunch that she remembered and sent for the juice to be brought from the car.

It is the juice, which was found to have been laced with the deadly poison, sources said. It is, however, not clear at what point the juice could have been laced –– either during the preparation or after she left home.

But sources say though the Police are not leaving anything to chance, there is a perception that the juice couldn’t have been laced at the point of preparation, which now skews the investigation in other directions.

The possibility that Alerotek was poisoned has caused a stir and attracted the interest of security chiefs, given the involvement of a close relation of the WB official.

Security officials are interested in establishing how the rare poison was acquired. What is disturbing is that the lone incident may be a pointer of its availability on the local market.

“Given its deadly nature, it is an extremely rare chemical — one which is not to be easily found on the market and how they managed to get it is extremely disturbing,” said a source.

Cyanide is one of the world’s deadliest poisons. Just one teaspoon of a 2% cyanide solution is harmful to a healthy human being and even smaller doses can kill wildlife.

Despite its toxicity, this poison has been widely used by the hard rock mining industry to assist in the extraction of precious and non-precious metals from rock, especially in the extraction of gold.
Although very small traces of cyanide are lethal to humans and to wildlife, the mining industry worldwide uses hundreds of tons of cyanide each year.

In some cases, spills have killed wildlife in an affected area; in others, soils and groundwater have been affected for years following a spill. Considering the risks, controversy over the use of cyanide in mining has escalated in recent years.

This year, Canadian gold miner Gabriel Resources met resistance over its planned use of cyanide to extract gold from the Rosia Montana mine in Romania.

The project — which Gabriel was eyeing to develop into Europe’s biggest gold mine — has been delayed due to protests that the use of cyanide will pollute the environment.

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