Violence and Displacement in the Border Area of Northwestern Uganda: The Case of West Nile from the late 1970s to mid 1980s

Abstract

West Nile Sub-region in northwestern Uganda shares borders with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and South Sudan. This region has been marginalized politically and economically by its physical distance from central government in southern Uganda. This is related partly to social and economic disparity during the colonial period, and partly to the delay of developmental investment in the region due to the destabilization caused by violent incidents and administrative changes, which continued for several decades after Ugandan independence.

This article focuses on two issues. Firstly, it looks into what kind of violence people in West Nile faced after Idi Amin’s regime fell in 1979 until the current government seized power in 1986. Secondly, it examines peoples’ experiences during their exile and after repatriation. According to archival data obtained from Arua District in West Nile and a literature review, the violence of this period can be categorized into the following three types: ‘revenge’ by the UNLF government against former soldiers of Amin’s army; disturbance of political rivals and their supporters during the general election of late 1980; and the massacre and widespread damage in northern, eastern and central West Nile. This resulted in a tremendous number of killings, including those of ordinary people. However, it is complex and difficult to identify killers and victims.

Empirical data obtained by fieldwork among the Lugbara people in a rural village bordering with DRC shows that, even in this situation, some factors enabled people to evacuate and repatriate easily and strategically compared to other parts of West Nile. This article explores how kinship ties extending beyond the national border worked to help residents make their lives secure, and it concludes that it is important to pay attention to the complexity of triggers which prompted people to take refuge, and to the diversity of ways people escaped to the neighboring states.