Gulu Walk San Diego: American Grandmother Keeps Light Shining on Uganda
Lucy Larom, a San-Diego based activist, led the annual Gulu Walk event in San Diego this year. Larom’s account of the event and reasons for her continued passion for the Acholi people and solidarity with Ugandans are eloquently stated in her following piece.
If I Don’t Walk, Who Will?
BY Lucy Larom
Another perfect day greeted several hundred walkers for the 5th annual GuluWalk in San Diego’s historic Balboa Park. This year’s walk was sponsored by Alliance for African Assistance, Aztecs for Africa, and CEGUN, (The Campaign to End Genocide in Uganda … Now!)
As participants arrived at 6th and Laurel they were greeted by lively music and the premiere performance of a new band, “Norman and the Next Door Neighbors”.
Banners for GuluWalk and The Campaign to End Genocide in Uganda … Now! festooned the sidewalk and hung from the mammoth spreading branches of a one hundred year old tree. Under the tree were set up several dedicated tables.
The first table was for sign in where people could add their signatures to large colorful postcards created by CEGUN in the Uganda colors with beautiful graphics and text, and signature lines on the other side. These will be sent to Pres. Obama. challenging him to live up to the ideals expressed in his Ghana speech and implied by the award of the Nobel Peace prize.
Another table was for the sale of CEGUN t-shirts with the plea to “End Genocide in Uganda …Now! emblazoned on the front. A new design shows a beautiful Acholi woman with a tear streaming from her eye. The people of CEGUN agreed they would like a design that expressed the beauty of northern Uganda, as well as the sadness.
Several large van loads of refugees mainly from Northern Uganda, soon arrived at GuluWalk as well as many who came by car. There was the delightful presence of many refugee children as well.
The attendees included people from Los Angeles and Orange County and as far away as Las Vegas, Nevada. Prominent were student groups from a number of schools and Universities from San Diego and adjoining counties, CEGUN members and residents of San Diego, all sympathetic with the cause of Northern Uganda. SDSU’s Aztecs for Africa were active in the set-up and organization.
Gerald Womaniala a former resident and teacher at Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya very beautifully served as master of ceremonies and also read a moving poem at the end. Speeches by the sponsoring organizations spoke of the government-enforced genocide within the “IDP” camps of northern Uganda and the continued suffering of the people as money for northern Uganda was syphoned off by corrupt officials and military scemes.
It was also pointed out that there were many large well-funded lobbying groups for northern Uganda but none fully addressed the responsibility of the Museveni government of Uganda responsible for the forced incarceration and victimization of 2 million people and the subsequent loss of 1 million lives and attempted destruction of the Lwo speaking people and their culture. Concealment of genocide has taken the form of targetting the cruelties of the rebel LRA (who are no longer in Uganda)while ignoring the much greater responsibility of the Uganda Government responsible for more then 90% of the 1 million lives lost.
The government continues its neglect and abuse as witnessed by starvation in Teso and its lack of aid to those returning from the camps. People left in the camps continue to struggle with squalor and disease and those returning must rebuild homes and lives with no wells, no medical and psychological support provided by the government, no schools, roads, protection or judicial system and frequently find their lands have been taken by government officials and tracts of would be forest burned off for the production of charcoal.
The government’s pitiful promise of a resettlement package (a hoe, a packet of seeds and a tin roof for each family) has not even been fulfilled.
It was pointed out the loss of more than 30 civilian lives in the recent demonstrations in Uganda and the growing unrest throughout the country. Recent demonstration in several cities in the United states have included Boston and New York as well as in London. All demonstrations demanding an end to the human rights abuse of the Museveni government.
After music and speeches the walk commenced in a circular path through Balboa Park, Marchers carried signs proclaiming “Museveni is a dictator”, “Fair Elections for Northern Uganda”, “End Human Rights Abuse in Uganda”, “Resist Africom” and such. The procession was greeted by interested spectators, passers-by and cars honking in appreciation.
For all the hard talk this was a joyous occasian in San Diego. Walkers returned to soon be entertained by Acholi dancers. The celebration ended with Acholi music and spectators joining the dance. After the official ending of GuluWalk people remained talking in groups, connecting with each other and the refugees. Others of us continued conversations into dinner and beyond.
We were asked the questions “Why do you walk?” and “If the war in northern Uganda is over, what is the purpose of GuluWalk?
I will respond to the first question. I walk for the people whose voices have been silenced. I walk because I love Africa and its people. I walk because we all share the same ancient DNA and Africa is the homeland for all mankind. I walk because my government has supported the injustice there. I walk because I do not want a world dominated by “US interests” and subsequent militarization. I walk because our government and our media and our lobbying organizations and the international community will not take a stand about “the worst neglected humanitarian crisis of our times”, and the “hidden genocide” as expressed by 2 former UN Undersecretary Generals, (Jan England and Olara Otunnu)
When you make a mess, clean it up!
We have neglected the environment and neglected human rights abuse around the world. The problems are so huge and so systemic at this point it will be a miracle if we can solve them. It will take alot of education and a huge change of consciense to tackle these problems. I walk because the world can no longer afford the indugence of rich dictators and an elite that operates for self interest.
I walk because if I don’t, then who will?
Second question:
The LRA has been and still is a scapegoat for the Uganda government and its allies. Kony is still conveniently at large somewhere in Congo or elsewhere in the Great Lakes Region. The US military continues to train and support UPDF troops who have consistently failed in their objective to do anything to the LRA.
Whatever “The War” was it was two forces victimizing mainly Acholi people. The government continues to do so in its continued failure to provide and protect. It is further victimizing the Teso, the Karamojong (lots of good minerals there) and more recently the Baganda and lots and lots of other folks. I think it will always produce some kind of war against some “terrorist” group. It keeps the bucks coming in and it allows people to focus their attention elsewhere.
Ugandans are fed up and it will take the support of the international community to bring about the needed changes. With the discontent spreading around the country it can be easy to put the continued and profound travails of the north way further back on the back burner.
Should GuluWalk continue? I think it’s a good deal. It not only funds direct aid to northern Uganda (this year a community center) but also provides a vehicle to continue the search for justice in the area. The message is not controlled as it is in the main three lobbying groups but allows an open forum for the truth to be told.
