👆 Lt Colonel Francis Odikiro in an Interview with this Online Publication team.
UPDF soldier, Corporal Okwi with Army Registration number RA1815000 attached to Bondo Army barracks in Arivu Sub-county, Arua District has on Sunday 25-12-2022 shot dead an 18-year-old teenager called Philliam Shida, a resident of Etori village, Awika parish, Arivu Sub-county, Vurra constituency in Arua District.
According to the information we obtained, the Soldier called this teenager to go and buy for him alcohol at Bondo trading center using his own money.
The boy turned down the request of the soldier, saying he doesn’t have money to buy for him alcohol.
When the soldier insisted, the boy became afraid and decided to run off which immediately prompted the soldier who was already drunk, to go on a shooting spree on this boy, with the first bullet missing the boy and the second bullet hit the boy around waste, causing him profuse bleeding that led to his death along the way to Arua Regional Referral Hospital for treatment.
This incident brings the total number of civilians in Arivu sub-county killed by UPDF Soldiers in Bondo barracks to five within the spate of 18 years, starting from 2004 where UPDF soldiers shot dead Ms Veronica, in 2018-1-31 Mr Drandu Nicholas was shot dead, in 2020 Ms Annet was gunned down and in this year 25-12-2022, Shida Philliam became the fifth victim to die in the hands of soldiers attached to Bondo Army Barracks.
Being aware of these series of the shootings, Christmas day’s shooting angered the residents, promoting them to revenge the death of their son, and demolished a grass thatched house in the barracks, an emotional move that was later on cooled down by the political leaders in Arivu, Arua District.
The community members through a handwritten request a copy of which this online publication blog team managed to get from them, wondered why there has been rampant shooting of civilians by the Armed forces ever since the establishment of this Bondo Army barracks by former President Iddi Amin Dada in early 1970s.
The angry Residents entrusted the Deputy RDC Mr Ezama Ham Mizamil to be the center person to help them in the issue starting from the dialogue process, funeral, negotiation for compensation if possible and as well, to be in the center stage in following up the case to see justice must be done.
The community members also penned down and presented their complainants and concerns, including among others;
1. Deputy RDC Ezama Ham Mizamil to be the key person in following up the whole case.
2. The communities want some acres of their lands which were recently trespassed by the army to be vacated or the Army barracks to be relocated out of Arivu Sub-county, a narrative they said, the presence of the barracks has now become the greatest source of insecurity for them as the civilians.
Instead of the soldiers in the barracks to protect them and their properties, they have turned their guns against them as civilians and shooting them like animals, the community decried.
3. The third proposal the community presented is that, if request number two can not be abided by, they have asked the soldiers to remain fenced in the barracks to avoid another reckless shooting of civilians.
4. The community also want Media to do full coverage of all these events, starting from the burial process of that deceased 18 years old boy, the dialogue / negotiation process and prosecution of the culprit, adding that, some incidents like this at times disappear in courts and public if Media is not fully involved to do the coverage and reporting.
5. The clan want an independent public court where the culprit Corporal Okwi is going to be tried and prosecuted.
They said, they would prefer death sentence for the soldier so that it would send a string signal to other soldiers in other barracks across the country, or it would be a history to be told to other soldiers who may be in the future transferred to Bondo army barracks.
Let us write a history where the next soldiers who will be transferred here will have some respect and fear for the lives of civilians, the clan leaders irked.
6. Taking the Army barracks to court, is another option the civilians in Arivu presented to the security and political leadership of Arua District.
They hinted that, the Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Defense must have to pay for these unjust, regrettable and rampant shootings of civilians by UPDF soldiers deployed in Bondo Army barracks, which they said, none has ever been compensated.
7. They suggested government to undergo mental (madness) check up of soldiers deployed in Bondo barracks, a statement they said, is connected to these unnecessary shootings of innocent civilians.
8. Last but not least, the annoyed community members vowed not to vote for NRM party come 2026 if their grievances are not addressed by the government.
Arivu Sub-county LC3 Chairman Hon Edema Felix while mourning with the communities, asked for calm as they continue with dialogue in handling the matter.
The Arua District LC5 Chairman Hon Alfred Okuonzi sympathized with the family over this unfortunate incident.
He said, if they had the power as Human Beings, they would have stopped the death of that innocent young boy.
Soldiers were brought here to protect us and our properties but not to turn the community as enemies to be shot, Hon Alfred lamented in his closing remarks.
Vurra constituency MP Adriko Yovan said, he is both shocked and annoyed by shooting of an armless civilian by a soldier.
He thanked Deputy RDC Mr Ezama Ham Mizamil, DPC, DISO and entire Arua District leadership for their harmonious act during these kinds of moments.
There are many other barracks in Gulu, Karamoja and in other parts of Uganda, why are these shootings of civilians common in WestNile region, particularly in Arua District, Hon Adriko asked.
Hon Ayikobua Cosmas the Vice LC V Chairman for Arua District who is also the secretary for community services in District council, highlighted on the occurrences of gun violence perpetrated by soldiers at Bondo barracks ever since its establishment in the early 1970s during the government of former President Iddi Amin Dada, saying that, the communities have been coexisting with the soldiers until 2004 when these unfortunate and regrettable incidents began to happen.
The vice Chairman said, generally, they are always sympathetic as the people of Arua District and that is the reason why they have all sat down here to discuss on what to do next.
He emphasized for calm as all the parties involved in this ugly incident will be internalizing the mystery, adding that, there is always death in this world but it only differs in how we die.
Hon Candini Luiji the Councillor for Arivu Sub-county to the District Council asserted that, in those years, these kinds of deaths will be characterized by violence, destruction of granaries, women stripping necked and so on.
If this boy was shot at night, he would say these are some of his unruly people loiter in trading centers while doing nothing, he would say the guy has died in vain and should therefore be buried without any dialogue or compensation, Hon Candini Luiji alluded as he thanks God for being the savior of Bondo army barracks, a statement which attracted excitement and handclaps from the angry mourners over daytime 25-12-2022 shooting of the 18 years old boy.
He mentioned Etori, Odravu and Eceko as the most vulnerable clans surrounding Bondo army barracks who have been mercilessly shot at by the soldiers.
Hon Candini also briefed some history about the barracks, adding that, it was initially on top of one of the mountains in Arivu Sub-county but the complains were that, Wasps on the mountainous ⛰ trees disturbed the soldiers by stinging them.
Hon Luiji mentioned Mr Abia Amini as one of the surviving people (now elder) who was present in those years of establishing the barracks.
He said, few years ago they contributed some money as facilitation to go to the Commissioner for Mapping and Survey in Entebbe to ascrtain the issues of their land boundaries, decrying as Community that why would the land they voluntarily gave for the establishment of the barracks, become a threat that is eliminating them one after the other through shootings by guns in the hands of soldiers.
The Councillor elaborated that, if going to court over the community land conflict with the Army is one of the next options, he is ready help and be part and partial in the lawsuit against the army barracks.
Hon Candini was however curious, that, filing a land case before court is very tedious and most times land matters before courts of law take years and at times even decades.
He mentioned some individual lawsuit cases of land which are before the courts of law but they gave taken so many years and the cases haven’t been resolved up to today.
Hon Luiji was quick to add that, the issue at hand now is the death of that innocent boy killed using gun.
The Honorable, as other previous speakers, also highlighted on the number of People shot dead by soldiers with no culprit brought to book, except the soldier who shot Drandu Nicholas was also murdered by the community in retaliation for the shooting of their brother (Drandu Nicholas).
Hon Luiji in his closing remarks, urged all the parties to finalize with the burial arrangements so that the deceased Mr Philliam Shida will be accorded a decent send-off.
Mr Ezadebo Jimmy the father of the 18-year-old deceased boy, in an interview with this online publication team, asked the culprit (Corporal Okwi) to be killed the way he shot his son, an emotional statement the father of the deceased said, would make him feel justice has been done for him, his son Shida Philliam (RIP) and the Community members of Arivu Sub-county.
Speaking during an interview with this online publication team, the UPDF fraternity, through Lt Colonel Francis Odikiro have condemned the regrettable act of one of their own soldier, Corporal Okwi who shot the Civilian and died on the way to hospital, adding that, the Army leadership condones with the bereaved family and the community members of Arivu Sub-county.
When asked on if the community can have some hope for justice, Lt Col Francis said, the army officer who is already arrested, will be tried and prosecuted publicly here in Arua District as people will be seeing.
The army leadership also said that, Military Court Martial will be brought in Arua to Kickstart the hearing of the case in January - 2023.
Earlier at a meeting in Bondo barracks with the Security commanders / politicians, the Commanders said, the individual soldier (Corporal Okwi) will have to answer and be prosecuted for his actions as an individual, meaning, UPDF as an institution doesn't and will never tolerate impunity over such painful and regrettable acts of some individuals whose actions may entirely want to tarnish image of the force.
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