Escaping Kony’s grip: A tale of resilience and recovery

30 July 2024, 15:32

By Lakomekec Kinyera

A two-decade wilderness existence

In 1997, Oryem Patrick Lumumba and Okot Stephen Oola were forcibly taken by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), enduring over two decades of captivity. Their return to freedom in 2019 marked a profound shift in their lives after escaping from the LRA in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Oryem and Oola, once child combatants, reflect on their twenty-year tenure in the wilderness. Oola, from Patongo town council in Agago district, recounts his abduction from the village of Too-coo, Lukwangole parish, in 2001.

Under the authoritarian rule of Dominic Ongwen, he endured raids and abductions. “Life in the camp was harsh,” he recalled. “Rain was a constant companion during our marches.”

Trekking distances of 20 to 100 kilometers was commonplace, with rest only after hectic training and deployment. Complaints of fatigue were met with punishment or death. Oola evolved from a recruit to a trusted bodyguard under his commander, Okeny IO, eventually becoming part of Kony’s inner circle. As Kony’s bodyguard, his responsibilities included lighting fires each morning for three years between 2015 and 2017.

Oryem, abducted in 1997, endured 22 years in the wilderness before his liberation in 2019. “Returning home in December 2019 felt like descending into a personal hell,” he laments. “My mother’s passing and the upheaval in our village—it was devastating.”

Both Oola and Oryem emerged bereft and homeless after nearly two decades under LRA command. Their recovery began with rehabilitation efforts by an NGO in Gulu.

A reawakening to Life

After two decades in the bush, Oryem recounts his narrow escape from LRA captivity, likening it to a dungeon. Surrendering to government forces in 2019, he faced a world lacking purpose. “Life post-captivity was a torment,” Oryem confided. Scarce resources and war-ravaged landscapes awaited him, prompting a quest for survival.

Denied educational opportunities due to conflict, he enrolled in vocational training, courtesy of Terra Renaissance, an NGO in Gulu. The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted two years of training, but Oryem and his peers persevered, resuming their woodworking education.

Armed with newfound skills, Oryem embarked on a journey to reclaim his life. “Woodworking transformed my existence,” he asserted. “It afforded me independence, sustenance for my family, and a renewed sense of purpose.”

Testimonials of transformation abound, not only in Oryem’s life but also in the lives of those he supports—a testament to the power of resilience and community support from Terra Renaissance.

Born under LRA captivity

Over 1000 births in captivity and 500 former child soldiers have been rehabilitated, thanks to efforts by organisations like Terra Renaissance. Abalo Rebecca, a project officer, emphasises the importance of reintegration and peacebuilding initiatives.

Ms. Abalo explains that Terra Renaissance aims to prevent a resurgence of violence by reintegrating former child soldiers. They offer vocational training, basic education, and peace education to over 500 returning former child soldiers and the wider community.

Additionally, Terra Renaissance provides micro-finance and credit services to ex-combatants and impoverished community members. “We’re actively admitting those affected by conflict and vulnerable individuals, with significant improvement,” she said.

Partnering with organisations like Transcultural Psychosocial Organisation (TPO) and ‘Watye Ki Gen,’ Terra Renaissance extends support to all 1175 children born in captivity. They continue registering war victims for rehabilitation at their center in Gulu.

Despite the tragedies inflicted by the LRA, communities are healing, one individual at a time. Through education, vocational training, and psychosocial support, former combatants are reclaiming their lives and reshaping their futures.

LRA’s resurgence

The LRA is known for abducting children and committing brutal violence against civilians. Originally operating in northern Uganda and South Sudan, the group relocated to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in late 2005, where it continues its activities.

Originating as the ‘Holy Spirit Movement,’ a response to President Yoweri Kaguta’s oppressive policies in northern Uganda, it was led by Alice Lakwena. After Lakwena’s exile, Joseph Kony assumed leadership.