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| Uganda school attack: I covered myself in blood to hide | Uganda school attack: I covered myself in blood to hide |
| (14 days later) | |
| Student Julius Isingoma has told the BBC how he miraculously survived a night-time assault by suspected Islamist rebels on his school dormitory in western Uganda. | Student Julius Isingoma has told the BBC how he miraculously survived a night-time assault by suspected Islamist rebels on his school dormitory in western Uganda. |
| "I smeared the blood of my dead colleagues in my mouth, ears and on my head so that the attackers would think I was dead," he said, when we met him at Bwera General Hospital in Kasese district. | "I smeared the blood of my dead colleagues in my mouth, ears and on my head so that the attackers would think I was dead," he said, when we met him at Bwera General Hospital in Kasese district. |
| More than 40 people - most of them students - died in the attack on the secondary school in the small town of Mpondwe on Friday night. | More than 40 people - most of them students - died in the attack on the secondary school in the small town of Mpondwe on Friday night. |
| Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni blamed the attack on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), adding that they were "possibly working with other criminals because I hear that school had some wrangles". He did not elaborate, but vowed to hunt down the militants in their hide-outs across the border in the Democratic Republic of Congo. | Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni blamed the attack on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), adding that they were "possibly working with other criminals because I hear that school had some wrangles". He did not elaborate, but vowed to hunt down the militants in their hide-outs across the border in the Democratic Republic of Congo. |
| The ADF has not yet commented. | The ADF has not yet commented. |
| It was formed in the 1990s and took up arms against Mr Museveni, alleging persecution of the minority Muslim population. | |
| Its leader reportedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group in 2016. | Its leader reportedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group in 2016. |
| But it was not until April 2019 that IS first acknowledged its activity in the area, when it claimed an attack on army positions near the border with Uganda. | But it was not until April 2019 that IS first acknowledged its activity in the area, when it claimed an attack on army positions near the border with Uganda. |
| This statement marked the announcement of IS's "Central Africa Province" (Iscap). | This statement marked the announcement of IS's "Central Africa Province" (Iscap). |
| Six students are believed to have been abducted as the militants retreated to DR Congo. | Six students are believed to have been abducted as the militants retreated to DR Congo. |
| Julius was among six people who managed to survive the assault which lasted for several hours. | Julius was among six people who managed to survive the assault which lasted for several hours. |
| He did not identify the attackers, but said they were gun-wielding men who launched their attack at about 22:00 local time. | He did not identify the attackers, but said they were gun-wielding men who launched their attack at about 22:00 local time. |
| They came to the boys' dormitory but the students had locked it after realising they were in danger. | They came to the boys' dormitory but the students had locked it after realising they were in danger. |
| "When they couldn't open the door they hurled a bomb inside the dormitory and then used hammers and axes to break down the door," he said. | "When they couldn't open the door they hurled a bomb inside the dormitory and then used hammers and axes to break down the door," he said. |
| Julius was standing behind many of the students who had formed a shield near the door and were shot dead when the militants got into the dormitory. | Julius was standing behind many of the students who had formed a shield near the door and were shot dead when the militants got into the dormitory. |
| There were cries as the students were gunned down, hacked or shot to death. | There were cries as the students were gunned down, hacked or shot to death. |
| He quickly climbed to the top of a bunk bed, removed some of the wooden planks of the ceiling, and jumped inside to hide. | He quickly climbed to the top of a bunk bed, removed some of the wooden planks of the ceiling, and jumped inside to hide. |
| From there, he helplessly watched his colleagues being brutally murdered by the assailants, who then set fire to mattresses and left. | From there, he helplessly watched his colleagues being brutally murdered by the assailants, who then set fire to mattresses and left. |
| "I was overwhelmed by the smoke and dropped back down into the dormitory with a thud," he said. | "I was overwhelmed by the smoke and dropped back down into the dormitory with a thud," he said. |
| The militants heard the thud and came back. | The militants heard the thud and came back. |
| It was at that point that Julius knew he had to come out of the attack alive. | It was at that point that Julius knew he had to come out of the attack alive. |
| "I lay next to the bloodied bodies of my friends and thought very fast. Then I smeared a lot of blood into my ears, mouth and on my head and when the militants came, they checked my hand for a pulse and left," Julius said. | "I lay next to the bloodied bodies of my friends and thought very fast. Then I smeared a lot of blood into my ears, mouth and on my head and when the militants came, they checked my hand for a pulse and left," Julius said. |
| Student Godwin Mumbere managed to run away from the school | Student Godwin Mumbere managed to run away from the school |
| Another survivor, Godwin Mumbere, was in the same dormitory as Julius. | Another survivor, Godwin Mumbere, was in the same dormitory as Julius. |
| The 18-year-old recalled the assailants going to the girls' dormitory, dragging them out and hacking them to death with machetes. | The 18-year-old recalled the assailants going to the girls' dormitory, dragging them out and hacking them to death with machetes. |
| They then came to the boys' dormitory, broke down the door and started attacking the students. | They then came to the boys' dormitory, broke down the door and started attacking the students. |
| The bed Godwin was hiding under was overturned and his friends who were on top fell to the ground and were killed. | The bed Godwin was hiding under was overturned and his friends who were on top fell to the ground and were killed. |
| "The attackers saw me but thought I was dead," he told the BBC. | "The attackers saw me but thought I was dead," he told the BBC. |
| But they went out and came back into the dormitory to ensure everyone was dead. | But they went out and came back into the dormitory to ensure everyone was dead. |
| "It was at this point that they shot me in the hand and set the dorm ablaze," he said. | "It was at this point that they shot me in the hand and set the dorm ablaze," he said. |
| Godwin was brought back to reality by the shouts of another student who said they were dying. | Godwin was brought back to reality by the shouts of another student who said they were dying. |
| He ran out of the dormitory, scaled the school gate and ran to a nearby hardware store through a cocoa plantation. He got to a lodge and hid under a vehicle until he was rescued. | He ran out of the dormitory, scaled the school gate and ran to a nearby hardware store through a cocoa plantation. He got to a lodge and hid under a vehicle until he was rescued. |
| Clarice Bwambare, the senior administrator of Bwera General Hospital, told the BBC they started receiving the bodies of students and residents at around 01:00 - about three hours after the attack started on Friday night. | Clarice Bwambare, the senior administrator of Bwera General Hospital, told the BBC they started receiving the bodies of students and residents at around 01:00 - about three hours after the attack started on Friday night. |
| He noted that out of the 20 bodies they received, 18 were those of students. | He noted that out of the 20 bodies they received, 18 were those of students. |
| Five survivors are currently recuperating at the hospital. One of them is a girl who is in critical condition at the intensive care unit. A surgeon advised that she cannot be moved because of a severe head injury from being hit with a hammer by the rebels. | Five survivors are currently recuperating at the hospital. One of them is a girl who is in critical condition at the intensive care unit. A surgeon advised that she cannot be moved because of a severe head injury from being hit with a hammer by the rebels. |
| Mr Bwambare said only one body had not been claimed from the mortuary. | Mr Bwambare said only one body had not been claimed from the mortuary. |
| On Sunday, grief-stricken families buried 21 of the students, according to Uganda's New Vision newspaper. | On Sunday, grief-stricken families buried 21 of the students, according to Uganda's New Vision newspaper. |
| Lying on his hospital bed, Julius expressed regret that he could not attend their funerals. He said he wished he was a soldier who could fight back and save the lives of his friends and colleagues. | Lying on his hospital bed, Julius expressed regret that he could not attend their funerals. He said he wished he was a soldier who could fight back and save the lives of his friends and colleagues. |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Uganda | Uganda |