The administration of the sitting paramount chief (Won Nyaci) of Lango, Mzee Yocam Odur Ebii, has welcomed President Yoweri Museveni's proposal to settle the ongoing Lango cultural leadership dispute. However, Ambassador Dickson Ogwang Okul, Mzee Odur Ebii's Minister of Foreign Affairs, has set stringent conditions for dialogue.
Ambassador Ogwang Okul, currently serving in Khartoum as Charge d' Affaires, has stated that they will not attend any meeting organized by an "illegal entity."
Instead, he suggested that dialogue should be organized by an independent institution like the church. This comes after the speaker of Lango Cultural Institution, Willy Omodo Omodo, invited Ambassador Ogwang Okul to a special Council of Owitong meeting scheduled for Friday, July 5, 2024, at Lango Cultural Centre in Lira City.
In an interview with this newspaper on Thursday, Ambassador Ogwang Okul, also the clan leader of Pala Ocol Clan, reiterated that they would not attend any meeting organized by an "illegal entity." However, he expressed willingness to engage in dialogue organized by an independent institution. "We are open to any dialogue organized by an independent institution like the church, but not an illegal entity," Ambassador Ogwang Okul said over the phone.
The ongoing dispute revolves around the election of Eng Dr Michael Moses Odongo Okune as the new paramount chief on March 1, 2024, which was boycotted by clan leaders aligned to Mzee Odur Ebii.
They argue that the election was fraudulent and that the sitting paramount chief's term ends on November 1, 2024. The clan leaders have since distanced themselves from the poll outcome that brought forth Dr Odongo Okune, who is expected to be enthroned on November 2, 2024, as the new Lango cultural leader.
President Museveni had proposed solutions to the leadership dispute during a meeting at State House, Entebbe, on June 28, 2024. He directed the parties to seek peace through dialogue or legal redress through the Courts of Law. He also asked them to seek court redress in case they remain aggrieved with the council's decision.
Earlier, the outgoing Won Nyaci informed police leadership that he had given Ambassador Ogwang Okul his blessings and handed him the succession mantle, pending elective affirmation in accordance with the Lango Cultural Foundation Constitution, 2017. In a letter addressed to the Inspector General of Police dated June 18, 2024, Mzee Odur Ebii described Ambassador Ogwang Okul as a disciplined, loyal, and hardworking subject.
About Ogwang Okul
Ambassador Ogwang Okul holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Makerere University, Kampala, a Master of Administrative Science in Diplomacy and International Relations from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, NJ, a specialized diploma in prosecutions, and a Diploma in Laws from the Law Development Centre, Kampala.
He also holds a Certificate in Leadership and Governance from the Leadership Institute, Arlington, Virginia. With over two decades of professional development and practice in national and international leadership, Ambassador Ogwang Okul has a broad understanding of the socio-economic and political environments of Uganda and the region.
He is trained and experienced in various aspects of law and justice, peace and reconciliation, ethics and equity, public relations, diplomacy, international relations, and professionalism.