SIT Graduate Institute/SIT Study Abroad SIT Digital Collections Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection SIT Study Abroad Fall 2011 Acholi Clan, Ethnic, and National Identities in Post- Conflict Northern Uganda: A Case Study in Koch Goma Sub-County, Nwoya District David L. Davenport SIT Study Abroad Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection Part of the Civic and Community Engagement Commons, Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, Inequality and Stratification Commons, Peace and Conflict Studies Commons, and the Race and Ethnicity Commons Recommended Citation Davenport, David L., "Acholi Clan, Ethnic, and National Identities in Post-Conflict Northern Uganda: A Case Study in Koch Goma Sub-County, Nwoya District" (2011). Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. 1206. https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/1206 This Unpublished Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the SIT Study Abroad at SIT Digital Collections. It has been accepted for inclusion in Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection by an authorized administrator of SIT Digital Collections. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ISP RESEARCH PAPER Acholi Clan, Ethnic, and National Identities in Post-Conflict Northern Uganda: A Case Study in Koch Goma Sub-County, Nwoya District David L. Davenport School for International Training Uganda: Post-Conflict Transformation Submi tted on December 11, 2011 In Fulfillment of Independent Study Project Advisors: William Komakech, Academic Director, SIT Michael Tebere, Advisor to Gulu District RDC Jan French, Prof. Anthropology, University of Richmond Abstract In the following essay, the researcher will explore the clan, ethnic, and national identities of the Acholi people in the context of post-conflict northern Uganda. The researcher will first describe and interpret the meaning of these identities to Acholi people he interviewed during his research, and then he will analyze them in the post-conflict, socio-cultural context of northern Uganda. During a research period of four weeks, the researcher spent a total of twelve days in Koch Goma Sub-Country, Nwoya District conducting one-on-one interviews. During this time, the researcher was able to interview eighteen people. Data was collected and analyzed qualitatively as well as against the background of theoretical arguments from scholars of anthropology, sociology, and psychology. Unfortunately, the small population size of participants makes the extrapolation of patterns found within the data collected difficult, especially due to the under-representation of educated women in the population size. Furthermore, many of the people of Koch fled to Gulu or Banyoro land during the conflict, an uncontrollable variable that makes it more difficult to generalize these findings to all Acholi. Hence, these findings are presented as a case study of Koch Goma Sub-County. Aside from understanding the meaning of clan, ethnic, and national identities to the Acholi interviewed, several themes became apparent: the Acholi of Koch Goma feel a sense of collective shame as a result of the conflict; the conflict has also affected how some Acholi view themselves as members of their clan and Uganda. Furthermore, protection and social utility is a major factor in determining which identity an individual expresses more over others. Lastly, travelling and interacting with the “other”—someone from another clan, tribe, or nation—affects the way in which an individual defines his identities. Davenport / Page 2 Acknowledgments Throughout the research process, I have been fortunate to have been supported and advised by many people. Foremost among these is Father William Komakech, Academic Director to SIT Uganda: Post-Conflict Transformation. His eagerness for me to learn through experiential learning, in addition to his well-reasoned advice, has been paramount in the success of my independent study period and in the success of my semester here in northern Uganda. I would also like to thank Michael Tebere, Advisor to the Gulu District RDC, who personally advised my research and with whom I had excellent conversations. As Assistant Director to the SIT program, Abalo Winnifred Arina is also greatly appreciated, especially for keeping me hydrated on bottled water this semester. From the field I would like to thank Sunday and Sylvia without whom my research would have been impossible. Thank you for both for being excellent informants, friends, translators, and mentors. I would also like to thank my homestay family, particularly Mamma Caroline who welcomed me into her home and with whom I had many an insightful discussion by candlelight. Thank you also to Martin Ojara Mopinduze, LC5 of Gulu District, John Basco Okullu, LC3 of Koch Goma Sub-County, and the communities of Gulu and Koch Goma for welcoming me with open arms and smiles. Thank you for allowing me to be a member of your community and for sharing with me your stories and comments, whether in the classroom, in the field, or on the street. From the University of Richmond, I would like to thank my advisors Jan French and Thomas Bonfiglio who have provided me with plenty of guidance in my decision to go abroad and continue with my research. Thank you also to the School of Arts & Sciences, the Office of Davenport / Page 3 International Education, and the Office of Financial Aid for making this study abroad experience possible. Lastly, I would like to thank my family and friends who have supported me in this endeavor, most specifically my mother and Joanita Senoga. Mom, you have made me into the person I am today, and Joanita, you and your passion have inspired me to learn more about your home-country Uganda. Last, but most certainly not least, I would like to thank my fellow students in the SIT program. Thank you for listening when I needed it, and thank you for the late nights, which I will never forget. Each of you is unique, and I am truly glad to have met you all. Davenport / Page 4 Table of Contents Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………2 Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………………..3 Chapter 1: Introduction ………………………………………………………………………...7 1.1 Justification…………………………………………………………………………...7 1.2 Objectives……………………………………………………………………………..8 1.3 Background.....………………………………………………………………………..9 (a) Introduction to the Acholi People of Northern Uganda…………………….12. (b) Introduction to Koch Goma…………………………………………………12 (c) Terminology………………………………………………………………….12 Chapter 2: Methodology ………………………………………………………………………..13 2.1 Methods Used…………………………………………………………………...…..13 2.2 Interaction with Subject Population…………………………………………………14 2.3 Ethical Considerations……………………………………………………………....15 2.4 Effectiveness of Methodology………………………………………………………15 2.5 The Effect of the Researcher on His Data………………………………………..…17 2.6 Recommendations for Improvement of Methodology………………………………18 Chapter 3: Findings ……………………………………………………………………………19 3.1 Acholi Clan Identities: What it means to be a member of one’s clan……………….19 3.2 Acholi Ethnic Identity: What it means to be Acholi………………………………...20 3.3 Acholi National Identity: What it means to be Ugandan……………………………22 3.4 Acholi Identities and the Conflict in Northern Uganda……………………………..24 3.5 Social Utility and Identity Significance……………………………………….…….26 Davenport / Page 5 3.6 Mobility, Otherness, and Identity Formation………………….…………………….27 Chapter 4: Personal Opinions …………………………………………………...……………28 Chapter 5: Recommendations …………………………………………………..……………..29 Chapter 6: Conclusion ................................................................................................................30. Bibliography………………………………………………………………………..……………31 Appendix I: Map of Ethno-Linguisitc Diversity in Uganda…………………………….……….34 Appendix II: Interview Protocol…………………………………………………………………35 Appendix III: Description of Interviewees…………………………………………………..…..36 Appendix IV: Sample Interview Transcripts (2)……………………………………………...…38 Davenport / Page 6 Chapter 1: Introduction Following the rise of Museveni to power in 1986, a rebel movement known as the Lord’s Resistance Amry (LRA) began in Acholiland and marked the beginning of a conflict that would continue till 2006. With thousands of Acholi displaced into camps, the forceful abduction of children and adolescents into the LRA, and human rights violations committed by both the LRA and the government, this conflict became what Jan Egeland called the “most ignored humanitarian crisis of our time.” Now that the LRA has shifted base into the Congo and relative peace has come to Acholiland, the effects of the war are systemic, manifesting themselves in clan relations, the Acholi culture, and the relationship between the Acholi people and the Ugandan government. In the following essay, the clan, ethnic and national identities of the Acholi people will be explored in this post-conflict environment. Over the course of four weeks, I conducted a case study in Koch Goma Sub-County, Nwoya District asking residents about their identities as members of their clan, the Acholi, and Uganda. In the remainder of this paper, these findings are presented and analyzed. 1.1 Justification Researching Acholi post-conflict identities is important because the conflict has greatly affected Acholi culture and society. The conflict has been a catastrophe socially, culturally, economically, and personally for the Acholi. Not only did the conflict cause the displacement of thousands, it caused the breakdown of family life, the breakdown of social roles, and the