More than 2,000 former Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) captives and returnees are expected to gather in Lira City next month for a thanksgiving and mass prayer service aimed at seeking spiritual healing, forgiveness, and reconciliation after years of insurgency.
The prayer, organized by the Anglican Diocese of Lango in partnership with the LRA returnees, will be held on September 12, 2026, at the diocesan headquarters in Boroboro, Lira City East Division.
For many of the returnees, the gathering will provide an opportunity to confront painful memories of the more than two-decade conflict, thank God for their survival and seek forgiveness for lives lost during the insurgency.
The organizers also hope the event will help reconnect former captives with communities and draw attention to the social, psychological and economic challenges they continue to face decades after their return.
Rev. Canon James Okaka, the Provost of Boroboro Chapter and chairperson of the organizing committee, said the initiative was proposed by the returnees themselves as a way of seeking spiritual renewal and reconciliation.
Okaka said the prayer will bring together returnees, community leaders and people of different faiths to reflect on the impact of the conflict and pray for healing.
He called on Christians and Muslims to participate in the prayer, saying the effects of the insurgency were felt across communities and require a collective response.
The coordinator of the returnees’ initiative in Lango, Abel Ogeny, said mobilization is already underway, including efforts to reach survivors in the neighboring Acholi Sub-region.
According to Ogeny, many returnees are preparing to testify about their experiences in captivity, while others want to use the occasion to express gratitude for surviving the war and returning home.
For Scovia Akello, the association’s treasurer, the prayer will be an opportunity to tell a story that has remained painful for years.
Akello was abducted by the LRA while returning home from school and taken to the bush, where she was forced into motherhood. She says the memories of captivity remain difficult to live with and wants the government to provide more psychological, social and economic support to former captives struggling to rebuild their lives.
Morris Okello, chairperson of the returnees’ association, said the group was initially formed to lobby for government support for former captives as they attempted to reintegrate into society.
He said after encountering challenges in raising resources to pursue their interests, the returnees decided to seek spiritual intervention through the church.
Okello said the prayer is therefore not only about remembering the past, but also about committing the future of former captives and their families to God.
The ceremony is expected to attract faith-based, cultural and political leaders from Lango and Acholi, with the Minister for Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Sam Engola, expected to attend as chief guest.
The event comes at a time when former LRA abductees are increasingly calling for targeted support to address the lasting effects of the insurgency.
Earlier this year, some former abductees accused government programs, including the Peace, Recovery and Development Plan (PRDP), of failing to adequately address their specific needs.
The government has, however, recently prioritized former LRA abductees in the first phase of cattle restocking program, with 80 billion shillings allocated for households in Teso, Acholi and Lango sub-regions. For the returnees, however, material support alone may not be enough-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
