When I jumped out of the 14-seater air plane in Kotido I knew the community I was encountering was unlike anything I have ever experienced in my life. Immediately young shepherd boys were around the plane dressed in sukas and holding their poles and ignoring the herds grazed around the air strip. I was whisked off to my host family’s home and shown my room, but the main event for the day was a peace meeting under “the peace tree” called Ajale, meaning surrender.
During the latter part of colonial history in Uganda one man became frustrated with the oppression his people were experiencing because of the British. He dressed himself in a leopard skin and covered himself in cow dung (one of the most sincere expressions of respect) and went with his spear to the Ajale tree to speak with the British. But, before approaching the tree he laid down his spear and surrender to the British, this finally brought peace to his people and eventually the British ended the occupancy.
It was under this same tree that leaders from the Jie, Dodoth, Matheniko, Bokora, and Turkana tribes met to celebrate the eight months of peace they have experienced. Eight months is a year minus the dry season, so part of the meeting was to decide how to manage the scarce resources during the difficult dry season in a peaceful way. The afternoon was full of speeches by the elders, songs by groups of youth and much dancing. Frequently a speech would become too long and a group would spontaneously begin singing and dancing. Although I couldn’t understand the local languages of the speeches and songs the atmosphere of peace was obvious, seeing all the tribes celebrating together.
On the ride home some Turkana women in the back of the vehicle began singing again about the celebration. They sang a song about “ekisil”, an understanding of shalom peace.
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