Invisible children, a local NGO operating in Northern Uganda has rescinded it decision to suspend its operations in Lango region. The decision follows a meeting with various leaders in Lango including LC V chairperson, Resident District Commissioners, Chief Administrative Officers and District Internal Security Officers drawn from the region held at Firm View hotel in Lira town.
Recently, Invisible children announced plans to suspend its operation following reports that the NGO had been rejected by area leaders. Jolly Okot, the country Director Invisible Children told URN the claim was made by Victor Ochen, country director African Youth Initiative Network-AYINET. According to Okot, Ochen reportedly told some international media houses that the local leaders in Lango and war victims had rejected Invisible Children after it released Kony 2012 Video that attracted over 150M views globally.
The video advocates for the arrest of the elusive LRA leader Joseph Kony by December 2012 but many people have criticized it for making the indicted rebel leader famous. Okot says following reports by Ochen they decided to suspend their operations in Lango and sponsoring 45 students attending university education. But the decision by Invisible Children to suspend operations didn’t go down well with leaders from the 8 districts that make up Lango region.
Early this week, leaders from various districts in the region disowned the statements made by Ochen. John Baptist Okello Okello, the Dokolo LC V chairman who spoke on behalf of the LC V chairpersons dismissed claims that they had kicked Invisible Children. Alex Oremo, the LC V chairman Lira district warned Ochen to stop the international campaign against Invisible children because he is not the representative of the Lango people.
But Victor Ochen, who is accused of running a smear campaign against invisible children, has denied any wrong doing.
Ochen says that it is the war victims that are condemning Invisible children for making Joseph Kony famous at their expense. He claims that the victims who were interviewed by the international journalists faulted the organization for failing to represent their views in Kony 2012 video. Both AYINET and Invisible Children are working towards the improvement of infrastructures and lives of the victims of the LRA war in Lango, Teso, Acholi and West Nile.
