uganda: "DUKA-DUKA!": MEMORIES OF THE CIVIL WAR

Reading the title of this article and knowing the history of Uganda, one may ask: “which war?” There have been several civil wars in my country since independence; in fact, currently (un)civil war rages in the northern and southwestern regions of Uganda. The civil strife that I refer to here is that which Ugandans witnessed between 1981 and 1986. The war itself was concentrated in the so-called “Luwero Triangle” - a large swathe of land lying just 50 miles northwest of the capital city, Kampala. Nevertheless, generalized violence and bloodshed rippled throughout the length and breadth of the country and touched each one of us. Moreover, the civil war took place against a historical backdrop of vicious military and civilian dictatorships in Uganda's post-independent politics. The words “duka-duka” were reminiscent of the times - running for cover and fleeing civil strife.