The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". The account of the Acholi reaching Localized lineages have been the fundamental social units in Acholi, The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". In addition, the peace forums have worked to help establish the Amnesty Commission. The relationship between the Acholi and the British had for a long time been rather loose and B. Webster, eds. Children are highly prized, and historically a couple did not set up their own household until the birth of their first child, living until then in the household of the husband's mother. Inheritance has been, and largely remains, patrilineal. traditional local forms of organisation were based on smaller units, often only consisting of Linguistic Affiliation. Idi Amin (1971-79) the Acholi were severely persecuted and their men systematically executed for their past association with the colonial army and for their support of Pres. The activities of the LRA have been devastating within Acholiland (though they spread also to neighbouring districts and countries). B. K. (1994). Under Ugandan Pres. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). Divorce, which can occur for numerous reasons, is not uncommon and may or may not involve return of the bride-wealth; children, as members of the father's lineage, usually either stay with the father or return to him later. Marriage has been typically patrilocal and patriarchal, with the husband and father as the undisputed head of the household. Chiefs are chosen from one lineage. It is part of the Southern Lwoo languages For example, among Acholi, husbands pay a bride price to their wives fathers, and this payment supports the traditional belief that women are the property of the husband, since a payment was made for her. This belief underlies the customary land tenure rule that prohibits women from having rights to land independent of their relationship with their father or husband. environment and larger distances between settlements kept the hierarchical structures represents an income that averages several times that of a member of the They also oversaw village-lineage ritual and chiefdomwide ritual, were the main advisors to their rwot, and were responsible for most of the social control exercised in Acholi. Uganda journal 27(1): 15-30. Social Organization. In East African Childhood: Three Versions, edited by L. K. Fox, 43-75. Subsistence and Commercial Activities. However, during the dry season, as groups of families were forced to congregate around receding water sources, a greater degree of political organization developed. M.A. In Changing Uganda: The Dilemmas of Structural Adjustment and Revolutionary Change, edited by Holger B. Hansen and Michael Twaddle, 162-177. When Britain established its rule during the early twentieth century, both ideological predisposition and practical utility prompted the colonizers to consider the Acholi a "tribe" and to administer the area as a "tribal" unit. families living together in hamlets. famines forced groups to move within the Acholi territory and create more cohesive forms of This included both agricultural and hunting land. Inheritance. The available evidence suggests that conflict in Acholi before the end These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Orientation them Shuuli, based on their language being similar to Shilluk from South Sudan. L. No. (1955). Medicine. Many contemporary Acholi continue to use these treatments, although nearly all with access to clinics and hospitals rely on these as well, whenever they can. At the peak of the conflict, 90% of the Acholi population moved into IDP camps designed as protected villages. Okot p'Bitek's epic poem, Song of Lawino, debates Acholi customs around the time that Uganda became independent. The Acholi people (also spelled Acoli) are a Nilotic ethnic group of Luo peoples (also spelled Lwo), found in Magwi County in South Sudan and Northern Uganda (an area commonly referred to as Acholiland), including the districts of Agago, Amuru, Gulu, Kitgum, Nwoya, Lamwo, Pader and Omoro District. Over the twentieth century, chiefdoms in Acholi have become vestigial institutions, and the fences that once enclosed villages have disappeared. Conflict. the furthest back is the historical reconstruction by Atkinson (2011 [1994]), who described the The Acholi are the descendants of a variety of Luo-speaking peoples who are believed to have migrated three or four centuries ago from adjacent areas of what is now South Sudan into what is now the Acholi district of Uganda. Occasional Paper no. The Lwoo. [13] The refugees in the camps have also been subject to raids by both LRA and government forces.[10]. Since 1996 this policy has expanded to encompass the entire rural Acholi population of four districts, one million people. 30 Chiefly authority was however not absolute, as power was shared with lineage elders ( ladit kaka) and political authority was mainly vested in Girling, F. K. (1960). Identification. [26][27], The NRA managed to defeat all the rebel groups except the LRA which culminated in a 20-year conflict. The Taxpayer First Act, Pub. According to Latigo, prior to colonialism, "the Acholi people maintained a traditional government that was rooted firmly in their religious beliefs, norms, and customs, which demanded peace and stability in Acholiland at all times, based on their philosophy of life. The purpose of the cookie is to determine if the user's browser supports cookies. It was filmed by Australian director Ebony Butler, Simon Hardwidge and Ugandan author Frey Onen. The Central Lwo during the Aconya. Dholuo connected and intertwined chiefdoms. An individual had personal claim to land that he and his wife (or wives) had under cultivation or that had been cultivated but was lying fallow, and such rights passed from father to son. Political Organization. Since the entrenchment of colonial rule, an average of 10 to 20 percent of adult Acholi males at any one time have been involved in migrant labor or employment in the police or army that has taken them from their home and families. It is [9], In the 2000s, James Ojent Latigo described some of Uganda's social problems as based on the way the political elites have used ethnicities to divide the country. As a result, many widowed Acholi have been unable to access their land on return to their homes. The But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. The third group of spirits were those of unknown persons and dangerous beasts; these were hostile, personified as ghosts, believed to cause sickness and other misfortunes, and dealt with by means of spirit possession. The personal and group loss resulting from death is acknowledged as real and permanent. Webster, J. with the British was through Samuel Baker. They have also "played a vital role in Acholi traditional reconciliation processes and in preparing the community to receive former combatants. formations in the form of chiefdoms and kingdoms by the end of the first millennium A.D. The council's representatives could mediate issues between clans, and essentially covered both civil and criminal functions, like a Supreme Court. somewhat better off than others before the latter part of the nineteenth Acholi: Talking Politics in Northern Uganda Many Ugandans follow politics with keen interest, and President Yoweri Musevei's 34-year tenure notwithstanding, politics is a frequent topic of in-depth conversation and spirited debate among friends and acquaintances, and my conversations with my mentor are no exception. Bride-wealth has varied over time but has usually included iron objects, domestic animals, and, in the twentieth century, money. Industrial Arts. Boys and girls are typically socialized into distinct gender roles, and do household and other chores accordingly. Following the latest redrawing of the administrative divisions, it contains seven districts; Agago, Amuru, Gulu, Kitgum, Nwoya, Lamwo and Pader. While Acholi also lives north of the South Sudaneseborder, the Sudanese Acholi are often excluded from the political meaning of the term "Acholiland". Even bride-wealth marriages are now often mainly nuclear-family affairs, and other alternatives to traditional marriage are common. While rwodi, members of royal lineages, and lineage heads all seem to have been somewhat better off than others before the latter part of the nineteenth century, social stratification appears limited, owing primarily to both limited wealth in the society and redistribution. The term is derived from "Shuuli," first used by nineteenth-century ivory and slave traders who noted the similarity of Acholi Luo to the language of the previously encountered Shilluk or "Collo" of the southern Sudan (Crazzolara 1938, vii-viii). The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Shilluk Acholi Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The PEPFAR Uganda 2023 Science Summit on HIV and TB: Following the Science and Sustaining the Gains as PEPFAR Turns Twenty This report is a record of the virtual summit organized by the United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Uganda for its stakeholders; Uganda Ministry of Health (MoH) including its Public Health Fellowship Program (PHFP), implementing partners, and . Political organizations are those engaged in political activities (e.g., lobbying, community organizing, campaign advertising, etc.) This in turn forged new political entities and identities as well as wider social relations. with the Gulu district being by far the most populated one (Uganda, 2016). latest redrawing of the administrative divisions, it contains seven districts; Agago, Amuru, Gulu, This cookie is set by Youtube. In war, the men used spears and long, narrow shields of giraffe or ox hide. Nairobi: East African Literature Bureau. Marriage. Orientation We hope you find it interesting. 23 Feb. 2023 . "The Ancestral Shrine of the Acholi." Whitmire (2013) on the other hand argued that a The history and politics of ethnicity and language 37. census of 2014, those seven districts were combined inhabited by just under 1.4 million people Due to a changing economy, after the 1950s, fewer Acholi was recruited to the armed forces but continued to be associated with them in popular mythology and stereotypes. The main point of contact The cookie also tracks the behavior of the user across the web on sites that have Facebook pixel or Facebook social plugin. In response, Musevenis government forced 1.4 to 1.9 million civilians into camps where they ostensibly were to be protected by the Ugandan army. In addition there were priest- or priestess-diviners, private practitioners who worked for the well-being of their clients, and witches, who worked in private for evil or destructive purposes. A Study of the Acooli Language: Grammar and Vocabulary. [23] This resulted in resistance building up in the region and soon a host of rebel groups sprang up in the north. [23][24], The attempt to pacify the Northern Uganda was carried out recklessly with much brutality and unprofessionalism from the NRA soldiers and government. Until 1967 Uganda was a quasi-federal polity that included five subregional monarchies, non-monarchical districts, and a central government. into the 1990s, Acholi was the scene of similar levels of conflict. With the coming of the ivory We also use third-party cookies that help us analyse and understand how you use this website. He was defeated in January 1986. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. "Kony's Message: A New Koine?". Orientation We have a small favour to ask: if you appreciate our work, would you mind considering making a donation to support our work? Out of these, the cookies that are categorised as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Used by Google DoubleClick and stores information about how the user uses the website and any other advertisement before visiting the website. The Song of Lawino, one of the most successful African literary works, was written by Okot p'Bitek, published in 1966 in Acholi, and later translated to English. the nations capital Kampala in 1988. Crazzolara, J. P. (1950-1954). With independence, the Acholi remained marginal within the framework of Uganda as a whole, with one crucial exception: their disproportionate numbers in the police and army. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"igNXChGgDPbig_bsHwJgxoRb9NTulTcrPPRjDe2iFNY-86400-0"}; . They were approached in regard to such general concerns as good health, fertility, and appeals or thanks for good harvests in ceremonies that usually emphasized the consciousness, cohesiveness, and continuation of their respective groups as functioning corporate entities. Uganda Journal 7(1): 27-43. The long civil war in the North has destroyed much of their society. ETHNONYM: Karanga (historical) Approximately 2.1 million Acholi were counted in the Uganda census of 2014, and 45,000 more were living in South Sudan in 2000.[4]. for social control, though one of the attractions that assisted the (1976). Atkinson, Ronald R. (1994). Customs may reinforce social justifications for inequitable land rights for men and women. collective identity evolved, and a common language (Luo) spread. (Atkinson, 2011 The insurgency's military. An Exploration of Linguistic Practices and Language Attitudes in Gulu, Northern Uganda. Idi Amin was also from north Uganda, but was of the Kakwa people. //]]>, ETHNONYMS: Acoli, Acooli; historically: Gani, Lango, Lo-Gang, Shuuli. Location. With colonial rule In 2005, the new International Criminal Court in The Hague issued arrest warrants for Joseph Kony and other top LRA commanders. During Uganda's colonial period, the British encouraged political and economic development in the south of the country, in particular among the Baganda. [22], In January 1986, the junta government of Gen. Tito Okello-Lutwa in Uganda was overthrown by Museveni and his NRA rebels. Organizational Politics. Nairobi: Oxford University Press. second term, Acholi soldiers played key roles in the massive conflict in When not disrupted or dispossessed by the violence endemic since the mid-1980s, most Acholi remain primarily mixed farmers. development of chiefdoms seems to have been the ability of rwodi to help When the camps were disbanded and people began to return to their land, customary rules for land tenure did not necessarily have the answers to some of the problems faced by Acholi people: men had lost their fathers from whom they would be granted land; children did not know where their clan land was; women were married to men without following the customary rules for marriage because of a lack of resources; and women were widowed and left with few options for survival. That is why the Lango neighbours refer to the Acholi as Ugangi, meaning people of the home. [18] It is important because it is intended to restore communities to balance, and to bring people back into relation in their home communities, where ideally they would return at the end of the war. . Yet the northerners living in these squalid camps were prone to attack by the LRA and the national army alike, and unable to raise their own food. By the mid-nineteenth century, about 60 small chiefdoms existed in eastern Acholiland. Corn (maize), sorghum, beans, squash, peanuts (groundnuts), and other savanna crops also are grown. Once chiefdoms were established, Acholi religious beliefs focused on three types of spirits (jogi; sing. A single rainy season, from April-May to October-November, produces a reliable annual rainfall nine years of every ten, ranging from 102 centimeters in the central and western portions of Acholi to only 51 centimeters in much of the north and east. that included areas now belonging to South Sudan and the northern regions of Uganda. World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples. with chiefdoms providing a layer of organization above the lineages from 2008. Identification and Location. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Religious Beliefs. These guns brought Ceremonies. "[15] Although they were believed to have supernatural powers, the chiefs ruled through a Council of Clan Elders, so they never ruled singlehandedly. southeast by the Langi region and to the south, across the Nile, by Bunyoro. The earliest modern African political organization in Kenya Colony sought to protest pro-settler policies, and increased taxes on Africans and the despised Kipande (Identifying metal band worn around the neck). "At Home in the Village: Growing Up in Acholi." NRA in 1986. 1 Northern Uganda or Acholiland is formally known as the Acholi sub-region, an area inhab-ited primarily by speakers of the Acholi language, whom I refer to as the Acholi. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Even though the recent history of conflict can in some ways be tracked all the way back to the Orientation many of them children, the conflict led to the displacement of millions. The Acholi dialect is a Western Nilotic language, classified as Luo (or Lwo). The primary language of Acholi today is Luo, a Western Nilotic language spoken by groups scattered across East Africa from the southern Sudan to Tanzania; many also speak English and/or Kiswahili. From the Holy Spirit Movement, the notorious Lords Resistance Army (LRA), led by Acholi Joseph Kony, emerged. This cookies is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos. Sons have traditionally learned about farming, hunting, herding, and lineage and chiefdom traditions from their fathers and other lineage males; girls learn farming and domestic duties from their mothers. Traditionally, a grave is dug as soon as a person has died, following which a small and brief ceremony is held in the deceased's house prior to burial. The Acholi of Uganda. (unpublished thesis) Ann Arbor, Michigan: University Microfilms International . Identification. In the administrative structure of Uganda, Acholi is composed of the districts of: It encompasses about 28,500km2 (11,000 square miles) near the Uganda-Sudan border.[5]. The settlement of the Acholi in their current territory is compared to the ethnic groups in the These figures represent population densities of 20.4 persons per square kilometer in 1980, 16.5 per square kilometer in 1969, and about one-fourth and one-fifth the 1969 densities during the earlier two periods. He had established the Equatorial Province in 1870 LRA, after losing support from the local population, also turned on the people of northern Under Ugandan Pres. As they have for centuries, Acholi farmers rely mainly on iron hoes and other hand tools. Arab trading routes coming from the north, trading in goods, but also in slaves. southern parts of the country. Similarly, when Yoweri Musevenis National Resistance Army (NRA) took power in 1986, there were revenge killings and looting of livestock in the north of the country. [26] However, it successfully popularised the LRA in the West. Much of that hierarchy continued into the independence era. The movement hopes to strengthen the political and economic power of women in society and so push back destruction of the natural environment. This has continued in various guises ever since. Omissions? Classification of Southern Lwoo after Heusing (2004) and Storch (2005). Wright, A. C. A. p. 41). Traditionally, land rights were vested in localized patrilineal lineages, under the control and guidance of lineage heads and elders. 26). The Acholi's harrowing ordeal began under Idi Amin's dictatorship in the seventies. At its peak in 2005 over neighboring peoples, was neither rare nor endemic. Similarly, General Okello Lutwa who toppled the Obote II regime, was an Acholi. Sign up to Minority rights Group International's newsletter to stay up to date with the latest news and publications. Payera chiefdom and in 1911 they established here the Gulu township (Whitmire, 2013, pp. One obvious candidate, Bazilio Olara-Okello who, although unrelated to Tito Okello, was, as in the case of Oyite Ojok, another officer who participated in the overthrow of Idi Amin. Farming and hunting dominated the live in this rural The existence of separate chiefdoms was therefore not an From the Village to Entebbe: The Acholi of Northern Uganda and . Orientation Diversity Management in Sudan's Democratic Transitional Arrangements: Technical Paper 1, January 2023. This made the chiefs more independent from Visit the repository for full metadata or to contact the repository team This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. By clicking 'Accept', you consent to the use of all the cookies. Malandra, Alfred (1939). Behrend, Heike (1991). Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. From the beginning, the Acholi were marginal compared to Britain's concern with Buganda, at the core of the colony. He has noted that the emphasis on the distinction among ethnic groups has even been part of the internal government dialogue." contested among those with traditional leadership qualifications and In . Led by Alice Auma, who claimed to In the precolonial era, warfare, herding, and hunting were the domain of men. In 2009, Acholi was one of the six Ugandan languages identified as having more than one Most political organizations take the form of a voluntary association of persons or organizations that pools its members' and constituents' financial and other resources, and engages in conventional political actions to affect policy-making outcomes.
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