WATCH VIDEO: Julius Isingoma Narrates full story of how he escaped death by smearing himself with blood
In a harrowing account, student Julius Isingoma has shared his miraculous escape from a night-time assault by suspected Islamist rebels on his school dormitory in western Uganda. Speaking from Bwera General Hospital in Kasese district, Isingoma revealed his strategy of smearing the blood of his deceased colleagues on himself to deceive the attackers into believing he was dead.
The attack, which took place on Friday night, resulted in the tragic loss of approximately 40 lives, including 37 students, at the secondary school in the town of Mpondwe. President Yoweri Museveni attributed the assault to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), suggesting possible collaboration with other criminals due to reported disputes at the school.
President Museveni vowed to track down the militants in their hideouts across the border in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The ADF, formed in the 1990s, initially took up arms against President Museveni, citing persecution of the minority Muslim population.
The group reportedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) in 2016. However, it was only in April 2019 that IS officially acknowledged its presence in the region, claiming responsibility for an attack on army positions near the Uganda border. This announcement marked the establishment of IS's "Central Africa Province" (Iscap).
During the assault, six students are believed to have been abducted as the militants retreated to DR Congo. Julius Isingoma was among the fortunate survivors, along with five others, enduring hours of terror. Although he could not identify the attackers, he described them as armed men who initiated the attack around 10 p.m. local time.
The assailants targeted the boys' dormitory, but the students had locked the door upon realizing the danger. Failing to gain entry, the attackers resorted to hurling a bomb into the dormitory and then breaking down the door with hammers and axes. Isingoma stood behind his fellow students, who formed a shield near the door and tragically lost their lives when the militants breached the dormitory.
In a desperate bid to survive, Isingoma climbed to the top of a bunk bed, removed some wooden planks from the ceiling, and concealed himself inside. Helplessly, he witnessed the brutal murder of his classmates as the assailants set fire to the mattresses before leaving. Overwhelmed by smoke, Isingoma fell back into the dormitory but remained still.
The militants returned upon hearing the thud, prompting Isingoma to take action to ensure his survival. Smearing blood from his deceased friends on his body, particularly in his ears, mouth, and head, he played dead. When the attackers checked his hand for a pulse, they were deceived and left him unharmed.
Another survivor, Godwin Mumbere, who was in the same dormitory as Isingoma, described the attackers dragging girls from the adjacent dormitory and hacking them to death with machetes. They then entered the boys' dormitory, broke down the door, and commenced their assault.
Mumbere managed to escape notice by hiding under a bed that was eventually overturned, causing his friends on top to fall and lose their lives. Mistaken for dead, Mumbere survived the attack.
The Bwera General Hospital received the bodies of students and residents in the early hours of the morning, approximately three hours after the assault commenced. Of the 20 bodies received, 18 were identified as students.
Five survivors are currently receiving medical care at the hospital, with one girl in critical condition in the intensive care unit due to a severe head injury inflicted by the rebels.
As grieving families laid 21 students to rest on Sunday, Julius Isingoma, lying on his hospital bed, expressed remorse for being unable to attend their funerals. He longed to possess the ability to fight back as a soldier and save the lives of his friends and colleagues.
The survivors and the community continue to grapple with the devastating aftermath of the attack, seeking solace and support during this trying time.
