04/03/02

UGANDA - Ugandan soldiers executed

By Will Ross

BBC correspondent in Kampala

Residents speak of regular killings of civilians by government troops The Ugandan army has executed three soldiers in public after they were found guilty of murdering several civilians near the northern town of Kitgum.

The troops faced the firing squad in villages near Kitgum following a court martial close to the town.

It is not the first time the Ugandan army has executed its own soldiers. 

A year ago two young soldiers were executed after being found guilty in a field court martial of murdering an Irish priest and his two Ugandan employees.

There were accusations at the time that the executions were carried out swiftly in order to conceal the truth behind the murders.

Private Richard Wigiri, who was found guilty of killing a civilian Monica Achiro in December last year, was executed by firing squad at midday on Monday, close to the scene of the crime in Kitgum Matidi township.

A second court martial took place near the health unit at Pajimo outside Kitgum town, where Private Kambacho Ssenyonjo and Private Alfred Okech were found to have murdered three civilians on 4 January this year.

According to a councillor present at the court martial, the hearing lasted for two days. There was no lawyer representing the two men, who were both  found guilty at about 1630 on Monday.

They were then taken to the bush about two kilometres away, where they were both blindfolded and shot.

An eyewitness told the BBC that more than 200 civilians watched the executions.

Ugandan army spokesman Major Shaban Bantariza said that the executions show the army never compromises when a soldier murders civilians.

He said whenever soldiers assemble for an operation they need a strict code of conduct and he denied that the court martial was a "kangaroo court".

 But the spokesperson for the Ugandan pressure group the Reform Agenda, Betty Kamia, holds a different view.

She questioned why the three soldiers were singled out for punishment, accusing the Ugandan army of carrying out many atrocities.

Mrs Kamia said that last year one civilian was shot dead inside a prison in Gulu, also in the north of Uganda, by a soldier who has never faced justice.

An opinion survey among ordinary people in the capital Kampala showed opposition to the executions.

One man said: "Execution per se is an act of taking people's lives, and I don't support that". He added that other lawful means should have been used to hold them to account.

Another thought they could have been acting on orders from above. But a motorcyclist said: "It's a good idea. If you kill someone you must be killed too". 

Residents of Kitgum told me of several shootings by soldiers of civilians in recent months that have gone unpunished and they claimed that following such shootings the victim is quickly labelled a Lords Resistance Army rebel.