Conflict Memory Among the Acholi of Uganda

The Acholi have been at the very center of all the major conflicts in Uganda. They have suffered in many ways, and lost greatly in terms of human lives, property, and psychosocial well being. The British colonialists from the very beginning of their adventures in Uganda identified the Acholi as strong, courageous, and good warriors who could loyally serve in the army and therefore many Acholi were recruited in the forces. Being many in the forces had its toll on the people as many participated and got killed in the different internal conflicts in Uganda. The major conflicts that the Acholi have suffered since Uganda got independence are: the Kabaka’s palace invasion in 1967; the war against Amin regimes of 1971 to 1979; the Luwero Triangle War of 1980 to 1985; and more so the over 20 years war between the Uganda Peoples’ Defense Forces (UPDF) and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) of Joseph Kony. The Acholi have different ways of remembering their dead ones, especially those who perished during wars in accordance to their cultures and tradition. They have the practices of bringing the soul of the dead back home into the shrine; burying the war dead; chasing the evil spirits; and reconciling with the enemy. This presentation therefore seeks to address the following questions: 1. What were the major conflicts in Uganda, and their root causes? 2. Who are the Acholi and why have they been at the center of these conflicts? 3. What are the cultural and traditional ways of the Acholi remembrance and memoralization of their war dead, and their significance? 4. How can the Acholi contribute to peace and stability in Uganda as a nation with many ethnic groups

Pattern of the meningococcal meningitis outbreak in Northern Nigeria, 2009

Objectives: Despite the availability of vaccines, children are the people most often affected by epidemic meningococcal meningitis. The pattern of the epidemic meningococcal meningitis outbreak in Northern Nigeria in 2009 and the Neisseria meningitidis strains responsible for this epidemic are described here. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in 16 states, involving 48 local government areas (LGAs), 91 health facilities, and 96 communities. Data collection involved in-depth interviews with key informants from the federal to the community level, a review of records, and a solution-oriented national workshop with participants from all states of the Federation. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were collected from some of the suspected cases at the start of the outbreak and were tested using the rapid Pastorex latex agglutination kit. Results: Kastina (11153, 20.4%), Jigawa (8643, 15.8%), Bauchi (8463, 15.5%), Kano (6811, 12.4%), and Gombe (6110, 11.2%) were the states with the highest prevalence of meningitis. The states of Nasarawa (11.0%), Adamawa (8.0%), and Borno (7.6%) recorded the highest percentage of deaths, while the Shongom (Gombe State 12.5%), Illela (Sokoto State 9.8%), and Ikara (Kaduna State 9.1%) LGAs recorded the most deaths amongst cases seen. Conclusions: The testing of CSF samples during meningitis outbreaks is recommended in order to monitor the occurrence of the multiple meningitis serotypes during these outbreaks and to direct serotype-specific vaccination response activities