Oyam, Uganda | The annual commemoration of the Abok Massacre, normally held on June 8, has been suspended this year due to the Ebola outbreak in Uganda.
Abok Sub-county LCIII Chairperson Moses Oboke announced that the decision was made to protect residents from possible exposure during large gatherings. He also stressed that while the day remains deeply significant, public health must come first.
The Oyam Resident District Commissioner Sgt. Shilaku James confirmed that the suspension is temporary. He noted that commemorations will resume once the Ministry of Health clears the situation and urged residents to remain vigilant, follow health guidelines, and continue honouring the victims in their homes and prayers.
The suspension comes amid Uganda’s ongoing response to an outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. Health officials have reported a total of 19 confirmed cases, with no new infections recorded in recent updates.
According to health authorities, 14 of the confirmed cases were imported from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), while five involved Ugandan nationals. Kampala and Wakiso districts have been the most affected areas.
Two deaths, both involving imported cases, have been recorded, while five patients have successfully recovered and been discharged. Officials say all cases detected in Uganda have been linked either to travellers from the DRC or secondary infections, with no documented community transmission within the country.
The Ministry of Health, working closely with the World Health Organization (WHO), has intensified contact tracing and surveillance at border points to ensure the outbreak remains contained.
The Abok Massacre of 2004 claimed 25 lives, left 26 people abducted, and displaced hundreds when LRA rebels attacked the camp.
Plans to develop the site into a memorial and tourist centre remain on the district agenda.
Community leaders have encouraged residents to mark the day privately by lighting candles and offering prayers at home.
The Abok Massacre was a brutal attack carried out on June 8, 2004, by approximately 100 rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) against an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Abok Sub-county, Oyam District, Northern Uganda. Led by notorious commander Dominic Ongwen, the assault resulted in the slaughter of 25 civilians, including five children, the abduction of 26 people, and the burning of more than 600 residential huts.