Lira, Uganda | The Paramount Chief of Lango, HRH Eng. Dr. Michael Moses Odongo Okune has called on communities in Northern Uganda to embrace truth-telling, forgiveness, and reconciliation as a foundation for sustainable peace and development.
Odongo Okune made the remarks on Thursday during the GANAL Prayer Peace Week celebrations at Lango College Playground in Lira City, where he commended the Catholic Church and Bishop Sanctus Lino Wanok for championing peace and unity across the region.
Addressing hundreds of faithful, religious leaders and cultural representatives, the Won Nyaci said the 2026 General Elections had revived old rivalries and divisions within Lango, noting that dissatisfaction persisted among both winners and losers.
He, however, praised reconciliation efforts initiated earlier this year at Lango Cultural Centre and described the Catholic Church as a historic pillar in mediation, justice, peace-building, and dialogue both globally and within Uganda.
Odongo Okune emphasized that lasting peace begins with inner spiritual transformation, warning that lack of inner peace often manifests through violence, land grabbing, domestic conflicts, ethnic tensions, cattle rustling, and war.
Drawing from Lango’s history, the cultural leader reflected on the community’s warrior past, colonial-era battles, and the devastating effects of the rinderpest outbreak in the early 1900s that weakened livelihoods in the region.
He further recounted the suffering experienced in Northern Uganda during the regimes and insurgencies that followed Uganda’s political instability, including the Idi Amin era, Karimojong cattle raids, and rebellions such as the Lakwena, UPA, and LRA insurgencies.
According to the Won Nyaci, the conflicts displaced thousands of people into internally displaced persons’ camps and destroyed the rural economy, leaving many widows, orphans, and families of missing persons without closure.
He said genuine reconciliation can only be achieved when communities openly confront painful historical experiences and seek justice through truth and forgiveness.
Odongo Okune also praised President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the UPDF, and other leaders for restoring peace in Northern Uganda after years of insecurity.
The cultural leader urged Luo-speaking communities and Ateker groups to preserve their languages, culture, and identity amid increasing threats of cultural erosion and language extinction worldwide.
He highlighted “kayo cuk,” a traditional Lango justice and reconciliation mechanism, as an important tool for healing communities and restoring broken relationships.
During the event, Odongo Okune revealed that Bishop Sanctus Lino Wanok was formally initiated into the Omoloacolodyekonywaliceng clan on February 9, 2026, as a sign of cultural unity and belonging.
He later congratulated President Museveni upon winning the 2026 presidential election and prayed for a peaceful swearing-in ceremony scheduled for May 12, 2026.
The GANAL Prayer Peace Week, hosted by Lira Diocese from May 3 to May 8 at Lango College Playground, marks the 20th anniversary of the regional peace initiative bringing together the dioceses of Gulu, Arua, Nebbi, Lira, and Kotido.
Held under the theme “Peace Be with You” from John 20:19, the celebrations feature peace marches, prayers, dialogue sessions, and reconciliation activities aimed at strengthening unity and healing across Northern Uganda following decades of conflict and instability.