Won Ateker Otaya leads a fatherly appeal for Elwelu’s release, President Museveni assures safety.
By Okidi Patrick Ocamoyitdyel
ENTEBBE – The Kumam Paramount Chief, Won Ateker Raphael Otaya, has emerged as a central voice in the push for dialogue and reconciliation over the detention of retired Lt Gen Peter Elwelu.
Papa Won Ateker Raphael Otaya led the appeal alongside other cultural leaders during a private meeting with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni at State House, Entebbe, shortly after the conclusion of the Cultural Leaders Conference. The meeting lasted approximately 45 minutes.
The delegation was led by His Royal Highness Papa Emorimor Paul Sande Emolot Etomeileng III, Her Royal Majesty Toto Akaliait Juliet Among Akaliait, and Won Ateker Otaya.
During the engagement, the cultural leaders presented a united appeal to the President, urging him to exercise his leadership and fatherly responsibility in addressing concerns surrounding Gen. Elwelu’s arrest, which has generated anxiety among sections of the Teso and wider Ateker population.
In a strong and fatherly appeal, Won Ateker Otaya described Gen. Elwelu as a son of the Ateker community whose situation was of deep concern to the traditional leadership.
Won Ateker His Royal Highness Raphael Otaya, requested President Museveni to consider allowing cultural leaders to engage the retired general through traditional leadership structures so that they could counsel him and encourage understanding.
He expressed the willingness of cultural institutions to take responsibility for engaging Gen. Elwelu as elders, should the President grant them an opportunity.
“Your Excellency, Elwelu is my son and comes from one of my districts. Kindly forgive him and give him back to us. We shall sit him down and talk to him as elders,” Otaya told the President.
Otaya’s intervention reinforced the collective position of the delegation that dialogue, guidance and reconciliation could provide a constructive way forward.
Emorimor calls for presidential intervention.
In his submission, Emorimor appealed to President Museveni to personally intervene and provide an opportunity for dialogue, reconciliation and mutual understanding.
He observed that the developments surrounding the retired general were beginning to create uneasiness among the population, potentially distracting communities from focusing on important development priorities.
Emorimor reminded the President that Gen. Elwelu had served the country in various capacities and had demonstrated loyalty to the National Resistance Movement government over the years.
He also highlighted the former army officer’s contribution to mobilising political support for President Museveni and the NRM during the recently concluded elections.
“Your Excellency, if there is any misunderstanding between your two sons, Gen. Muhoozi and Peter Elwelu, we urge you to sit them down for a dialogue for the sake of peace, harmony and mutual understanding,” Emorimor appealed.
“There is tension amongst the people, and this matter is now diverting the population of Teso from focusing on development matters that we want them to pursue,” he added.
Her Royal Majesty Toto Akaliait Juliet Among Akaliait also appealed to President Museveni, presenting the concerns of the community from a maternal and family perspective.
She urged the President to approach the matter with compassion and understanding, noting that the anxiety surrounding Gen. Elwelu was being felt by families and ordinary members of the community.
“Your Excellency, I am a mother. Just imagine you leading children who are bitter in their hearts over their brother. I am only extending the disadvantaged voices of mothers to you that please kindly have a parental heart and forgive Peter,” she said.
President Museveni assured Cultural leaders of Elwelu’s safety.
Responding to the concerns raised by the cultural leaders, President Museveni called for patience and calm, emphasising that security agencies should be allowed to complete their investigations before further action is taken.
The President indicated that he was aware of the matter and was closely following developments, adding that he had already instructed the relevant security agencies to handle the investigations expeditiously.
“Let the security agencies conclude with their investigations, then I will prevail,” Museveni responded.
In one of the most significant assurances during the meeting, the President directly addressed concerns about the retired general’s safety.
“I have instructed security to handle the matter with swiftness. I promise that all will be handled. Elwelu is safe and no one will harm him,” he assured the delegation.
President Museveni further committed himself to engaging Gen. Elwelu personally in dialogue, signalling his willingness to listen to the concerns raised by the cultural institutions and explore a peaceful way of addressing the situation.
Cultural leaders call for calm and unity:
The meeting represents a coordinated intervention by the cultural institutions of Teso and Kumam, which have joined hands in appealing for a peaceful and constructive approach to the situation involving Gen. Elwelu.
By bringing their concerns directly to the Head of State, the cultural leaders demonstrated their commitment to using traditional leadership structures, dialogue and reconciliation to address issues affecting their communities.
Following the meeting, the cultural leaders, led by Won Ateker Otaya, called upon the people of Teso and the wider Ateker community to remain calm, avoid actions that could heighten tensions and continue embracing peace, unity and mutual respect.
They urged the population not to lose sight of development priorities, emphasising that stability and collective progress remain essential to the future of their communities.
With President Museveni having pledged to personally engage Gen. Elwelu and assured the delegation of his safety, cultural leaders will be looking forward to further engagement aimed at addressing the concerns surrounding the retired general.
For now, their central message to the community is clear: remain peaceful, exercise restraint and allow the ongoing processes to take their course as efforts towards dialogue and reconciliation continue.
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