By Kule Kennedy,
Msgr. Saverinus Ndugwa, the Vicar General of Mbarara Arch-Diocese has blamed deadly rebellion and other related activities to selfishness, ignorance and greedy among the actors who fail to appreciate humanity.
He encouraged the local population to be trusted ambassadors of peace and reconciliation, as well as praying for the world to nurture people who appreciate life, reconciliation and forgiveness.
In his Homily while presiding over a memorial Mass that marked 26 year since the ADF attack on St. John’s the Evangelist Minor Seminary in Kasese where about nineteen students and two workers were abducted with only eleven rescued, Msgr. Ndugwa asked the local community members to emulate Christ who loves without discrimination than behaving like the Biblical selfish Cain who did not feel sorry for the sins committed.
Msgr. Ndugwa speaking …..
The Vicar General for the Diocese of Kasese, Msgr. Landaus Bwambale who was the Rector of the Seminary at the time, asked the community to report to relevant authorities any suspicion of rebellion and not like the attack on them which was planned time before but treated like a mere empty rumor by the locals. Msgr. Landaus speaking ….
Mr. Henry Muhindo who was the last rescued in 2008 after over 14years in ADF captivity, asked families and communities to treat the returnees with warm hands or else, they would feel isolated and lonely to pickup with life. Mr. Henry speaking ……
Mr. Dismas Adyeeri who is currently a secondary teacher said he decided to continue with education later after his return to neutralize ignorance and illiteracy he believes force people into subversive acts.
Mr. Dismas speaking…..
The Ibanda Parish Curate, Fr. Francis Mbusa, another survivor narrated how he was shot at four times and left unconscious till the following morning when the locals rushed him for treatment.
On August 16, 1997, the ADF attacked St. John’s Catholic Seminary in Kiburara, abducting nineteen seminarians aged between twelve and twenty, as well as two young employees. One of the abductees later escaped and told Human Rights Watch that one of the workers had been killed with a machete soon after the abduction in order to terrify the boys. The ADF also abducted students from the Mitande School in Kabarole district in early 1998, and attempted to abduct students from a school at Kabatunda on the night of April 9, 1998, the same evening as the attack on Kichwamba.
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