SILENTLY THE MOUNTAIN IS CRYING.

The mountain of promise, with potentials and very hospitable people has been left naked to be the mountain soaked in blood, mourning, hate, grief, fear, terror, groaning to lamentations of burying the dead but still a mountain of hope. This was a narration of hope from members of Inter-religious council (IRCU) joined the drive for peaceful co-existence in Rwenzori. The mountain is now silently crying in the hands of those supposed to put in right. “We must choose to define the mountain we want now (a happy one or grieving one) Justice Ogolla stressed”.  

participants who attended the interface meeting at virina hotel.

The interface meeting held at Virina garden Kasese attracted politicians across the divide, members from the cultural institutions, members from civil society organizations, members from faith based institutions civil servant, politicians whom lost the elections and members from IRCU. During the discussions, the members focused on amending what went wrong and this proposed action that can bring peaceful co-existence. Hon Sibendire Bigogo stressed that; the community representative must focus on the desire of the community. Peace begins with us and each one of us, we have no option but to remain the residents of the districts where we come from. We must hold dialogue meetings but putting into consideration; what kind of dialogue can be organized when we don’t even understand the key issues? Who are the players, who contribute what in the peace process? Dialogue cannot be centered only on protecting the image of one side and the rest remain suffering again.

Kasese and her people are characterized by Trauma (what should be done to the orphans and widows and those people still in prison), a lot of mistrust among parties, opportunists are imposition themselves in the positions of influence, there are clashes of hatred, we are now in the politics of deceit and threats of arrests to those regarded as royal guards.

We have handled the ceasefire and direct confrontation well at village and community level but there still exist aspects of fear to speak the truth and maintain the truth. Leaders must help the people to define our identity as people of Kasese as per the constitutions of Uganda, identify the key actors in the conflicts who has influence, power and interest yet those interests are not the interests of the majority, thus organize community driven mechanisms which include public sensitization meetings, leaders interface meetings, debates in schools, radio talk show and joint prayers for peace.