Uganda: Apuk Community’s Response to press release from Aguok Kuei Community
4 min readSubject: Apuk Community in Uganda Updates and Clarifies on the Aguok Kuei Community in Uganda’s Press Release, “Aguok Kuei Community in Uganda condemns an assault inflicted on chairlady Becky Akuindiik”.
Anyuon Madut Deng, Kampala, Uganda
Wednesday, October 10, 2018 (PW) — Following the press statement entitled “Aguok Kuei Community in Uganda condemns an assault inflicted on chairlady Becky Akuindiik” dated 17th September, 2018 and published on PaanLuel Wel website on 22nd September 2018 and 25th, September 2018 on Juba Monitor and other media outlets, we, Apuk Community in Uganda, would like to take this opportunity, although belatedly, to enlighten the aforementioned media readership on the successful resolution of the resulted misunderstanding and state clearly what we believe to be a firsthand account of what happened.
We acknowledge with regret all the fuss the incident had stirred up and the unnecessary strain it threatened to put on the relations between our sisterly communities in Uganda and although a particular member of our community may have been responsible, we maintain, with utmost respect, that the matter has nothing to do with Apuk Community in general as the statement alleged.
On 15th September, 2018, we gathered for an annual community meeting, a forum that discusses matters related to social welfare, peaceful co-existence, cooperation, cultural adherence and education here in Kampala, Uganda. As a longstanding practice, we do extend invitations to heads of various communities’ associations to join us on such extra ordinary occasions. In this regard we were honored to have Becky Akuindiik, the Chairlady of Aguok Kuei Community in Uganda, in our amidst representing her community in the meeting.
As any attendant would attest, the meeting had nearly closed and some were departing when a scuffle broke out, (just outside the precincts of the venue) between the leader and Adhieu Akuol Madut Jok, a 14 year girl who attended the meeting too. The two were separated immediately. None of the ladies got harmed except for water apparently poured on the former during the confrontation.
We, the community leadership, took it upon ourselves to investigate the incident upon which we found that the matter was instigated by Akuindiik – Adhieu’s / Agai’s family dispute whose origin could be traced back to Juba, South Sudan over Gen. Atem Gualdit and Agai Agai’s case. Agai is Adhieu’s Uncle.
Further findings indicated that the act was not premeditated whatsoever and that the leader and the family had a plan to meet so as to iron out their differences only to be disrupted by the community meeting in question. It should be noted that the two are cousins whose families had lived harmoniously together until this dispute crept in.
As a community, we find it not appropriate to go into the details of their feud. However, we would like to inform the public that, with the help of elders, the matter has been resolved amicably and we urge everyone concerned to treat this development as such. The questions as to who was right and who was wrong between the Aguok’s head and the family can’t be dealt with here, unless otherwise.
Lest our statement is misconstrued, we do not seek to justify what happened but we seek to clarify various allegations carried in the press statement. The assertion that the incident was an outcome of a set up by the community to humiliate the chairperson is baseless and unacceptable to happen in any way. Such misleading and dishonest phrases including “a group of disrespectful girls headed by notorious Adhieu from Apuk” are not only disapproved of but also hurting. A one girl Adhieu cannot form a group by herself in any way. In other words there wasn’t any other girl associated in the attack. It’s therefore unfortunate that the Aguok’s leadership couldn’t exercise any restrain and wait for our statement before they could put forth such demeaning allegations against the whole community of Apuk. The readership of various media outlets are therefore advised to disregard such false accusations.
Despite the tension created by the incident, we would like to reiterate our intention to return our relations to normal having submitted our condemnation and apology letter and successfully reconciled the victims in the day of 1st of October 2018 and 22nd September 2018 respectively. We therefore urge our counterparts within the leadership of Aguok Kuei Community in Uganda to accept our sincere apology and work hand in hand with us to restore our relations.
Motto: For Peace, Unity and Social Development.
Anyuon Madut Deng, Chairperson; Tel: +256 776024853
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