Untelling the war in Northern Uganda
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| Book: Tall Grass Author: Carlos Rodriguez Publishers: Fountain Publishers Kampala Volume: 275 Pages Publication: 2008 Price: Shs 20,000 Reviewer: Yusuf Serunkuma Kajura |
For over 20 years, the war in Northern Uganda raged in full force — it has subsided nowadays and there are scattered scruples of peace. But not so many writers have had the courage to write as daring and as emotionally about it, as Father Carlos Rodriguez does in Tall Grass.
His writing is autobiographical and ought to be read in the context that this Spanish priest has been a major actor in the war, negotiating peace, confronting conflict, living on the margins of life, taking blame, and inspiring hope to the so many Ugandans in this nearly forgotten corner of the country. And so, although the narrative reads different from the daily edited news reports, his active participation gives his voice credibility.
This book takes you through the unreported side of the war in Northern Uganda, through the eyes of a man who chooses to fight for peace at any price; suspected of conspiracy by both the rebels and the national forces; arrested by both fighting groups and often dealt with cruelly. And like the other people in this zone of flying machetes and bullets, he narrates the story of being caught between two monsters: The Lords Resistance Army and national army and the national army, the UPDF.
This book collects scattered episodes of war and peace, confrontation and blood shed, conspiracy and betrayal that the author meets during his mission work in this war torn area. They are however arranged in a manner that allows the book to grow with the war and make nervous reading.
 Among the so many issues that this book brings out; the bravery of the priests is beyond measure: It is unprecedented and is inspiring. Archbishop John Baptist Odama, Father Tarcisio, Bishop Ochola, the chiefs of Acholi, the author himself, and several priests and chiefs display a level of compassion and determination unknown in the history of conflict resolution.
At some point, all priests receive news of their death sentences issued by the rebel leader Joseph Kony, confirmed by UPDF intelligence, but they do not at any point alter their vision.
But again, the double standards, the half-heartedness and the arrogant remorselessness of the Uganda army in this war is not just shocking but is also hard to put in context: It was the UPDF that started the creation of Internally Displaced People’s Camps (IDPCs). It started in the most gruesome manner in 1996. People were ordered to vacate their homes in 48 hours after the ‘discovery’ that rebels used these homes too. “Thousands of peasant families were abruptly woken up before dawn, beaten up and chased away from their homes…many zones where people resisted were bombed with artillery and helicopter gunship.â€
Most of these people left without food, and there were no guaranteed supplies. In sheer overzealousness or insensitivity, even when people escaped to go and look for food from their homes, they found the granaries torched down and the fruits cut to ground—that the rebels would use the for food as well. There was equally no food in the camps. The author notes that it is hard to establish how many children died during this time.
And sadly, the author records how the IDPCs were not any safer—right from design: “The military detach was built in the center of the camp, making one wonder who protected whom…the Acholi soon started calling the camps ‘protected barracks’â€
Father Carlos Rodriguez narrates how; their mission for peace was constantly threatened by UPDF, the government newspaper The New Vision, and sometimes the president. They were called all sorts of names that would unnerve any ordinary hearted individual. He is called at one point “a thug with a cross†and then in some other cases an accomplice to Joseph Kony.
As well, the author acknowledges the substantial efforts of peace put forward by government. Under the headline ‘Betty Bigombe: The Peace Maker’, he writes well about government and pleasure in people when they change.
Tall grass gives a thorough and balanced narrative of this war. How people are left without protection and are abducted by the rebels then killed the following day by UPDF as rebels — like the primary school kids that were killed and the government paper ran a lead story: “UPDF Kills 19 Rebelsâ€.
The book further narrates the comprehensive cruelty of war that kills without discrimination; how it has killed a beautiful culture of story telling — the ‘cultural genocide’: “Displaced camps did not exist yet and people, poor as they were, could at least enjoy the simple things of everyday life like meeting by the fireplace at night and listening to stories.â€
Father Carlos Rodriguez writes in a very engaging way; a style that is fully emotional and personal. He does carry a strong invitation though; on seeing the plight, everyone ought to stand for peace. When the clergy of Northern Uganda turned into night commuters like the rest of the children, moving from the comfort of their beds to sleep alongside the homeless children, this turned out as the most convincing display of solidarity. It turned a page, attracted the media and plucked concern from whoever was responsible. They put their lives in danger “like all the thousands of childrenâ€.
We wait to see what the government will say or how it will react to a book that puts it under the spotlight for either neglect of responsibility or abuse of trust.
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