Ministry of Defence Begins Payment to Aringa Obongi Peace Initiative Committee in Yumbe

Yumbe District – April 11, 2025 — The Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs has today commenced the long-awaited payment of the Aringa Obongi Peace Initiative Committee in Yumbe District. 

The committee, which played a key role in mediating peace between the Uganda National Rescue Front II (UNRF II) and the government ahead of the landmark 2002 peace agreement, has received Shs1 billion from the government.

This payment marks a significant milestone in the government's recognition of the critical role local peace actors played in bringing an end to years of insurgency in West Nile.

According to officials, the Shs1 billion payout is part of a broader effort to honor and compensate individuals and groups who were instrumental in the peacebuilding process.

The Aringa Obongi Peace Initiative Committee helped mobilize communities, coordinated discreet dialogue sessions, and facilitated trust-building measures that ultimately led to the successful reintegration of former UNRF II combatants.

Speaking at the ceremony held in Yumbe, local leaders welcomed the payment and urged the government to expedite similar compensations to other peacebuilding committees across the region.

"This is a long overdue recognition of the sacrifices made by community elders and mediators who chose dialogue over violence," said a representative from the committee.

The 2002 peace deal remains one of Uganda's notable post-conflict reconciliation achievements, credited with ushering in two decades of relative peace in the West Nile sub-region.