11.02.09 IRIN: ackline Apio, "I thought I would not survive"

Photo: Charles Akena/IRIN

Jackline Apio, 21, who was abducted by Lord's Resistance Army rebels in 2002 from her hometown of Gulu, northern Uganda

During
one raid, 21-year-old Jackline Apio, who had been in captivity for six
years, was rescued. She told IRIN about her experiences:

"The first day of the attack I was in the camp. LRA leader Joseph Kony
had told us a day earlier there were plans to bomb the camp and ordered
all his commanders and other soldiers to leave immediately.

"At about 11am, after we had cooked, we heard the sound of approaching
helicopters. Minutes later they [the helicopters] started bombing the
camp. We all ran away.

"After two hours the rebels came back [to the camp] and collected food,
medicine and weapons they had abandoned. The rebels, women and children
later joined Kony. He was looking enraged, and we started walking
towards [the] Central African [Republic].

"Kony later changed [his] plans and ordered everyone to split into
groups of 10, including the women and children. He said we should all
remain in [DR] Congo. I don’t know where he went but he remained
somewhere with a few soldiers.

"Our group was led by Dominic Ongwen [Kony’s deputy]. We were 30 and
were attacked several times by UPDF [Ugandan People’s Defence Forces]
soldiers. On 22 January in the afternoon, our group was attacked by
UPDF; we had walked the whole night and were resting.

"I was shot in my left thigh. Then the [UPDF] commander appeared and ordered [the] soldiers not to shoot children or women.

"The other rebels ran away. We were five, two babies, two young
children and I. I thought I would not survive; everyone was screaming
and children crying. I said my last prayer because Kony [had] told us
that anyone caught by the UPDF would be killed.

"The soldiers took us to Dungu [north-east DRC] the following day. Now, I am back home.

"It is difficult in [DR] Congo. The rebels are on the rampage killing
people. The [military] attack disrupted the rebels' plans to return to
northern Uganda.

"It is difficult to get Kony, he keeps changing his location. Not even
his commanders know his real location because he does not use satellite
phones."

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