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African
Traditional Methods In Uganda:
A Case Study of The Acholi and Karamojong Tribes in Peace-
Building.
Presented by
Freda Nkuttu, Millennium Consultants
The Acholi:
The Acholi tribe
was chosen because they occupy the Northern region in Uganda, in
both Gulu and Kitgum districts, where war has been raging for
quite a long time. The Karamosjong were chosen because they are
pastoralists, known for cattle rustling in the neighbouring
tribes in Uganda, Kenya and Sudan.
According to the
research findings, the Acholi people, contrary to the view that
they like fighting, are one of the greatest peace lovers in the
country. Thier culture respects a lot of traditional methods of
conflict resolution. They have well detailed rituals of
resolving conflicts.
Mato-Oput - means
reconciliation among the Acholi. It is a detailed ceremony meant
to reconcile conflicting parties. Persons in conflict appear
before the council of elders who patiently listen to each party
and cross-examine them in order to establish the root causes of
the conflict and the guilty party. After a time consuming
scrutiny and the guilty party is found, the prescribed therapy
must lead to harmony and peace. An animal is sacrificed and the
blood sprinkled on the shrine of the God of truth and the
reconciler. This is done by an officiating priestly order. These
two parties are then required to share their meat and millet
bread and eat from the same dish and drink some beer, a symbol
of total reconciliation.
Mato-Oput
is performed in an isolated
place or at the bank of the river to chase away hatred and
revenge.
The Karamojong:
The Karamojong on
the other hand are known for cattle rustling. This is their way
of life. Cattle raids are done when:
- A father has lost all or part
of his livestock through sickness and needs to replace it.
- When livestock is needed for
marriage.
- When a young man has not
finished paying the agreed number of cattle to the father of
the young woman.
To deal with this
phenomenon, one needs to understand the culture of the
Karamojong. Usually many lives are lost during the raids.
However, on returning home after the raid, some ceremonies are
performed to amend the loss of lives taken. This shows that they
are not pleased with the killings that they have committed, but
their way of life demands it. Despite their being known to be
warriors, the Karamojong have various ways of resolving
conflicts. Their ceremonies involve elders to sit down and
listen. The accused speak one at a time, and decisions are made
on the basis of the arguments contributed by each person.
The government
should try to understand these processes and try to talk to the
Karamojong elders in bringing about peace.
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