A couple of years ago, Jennifer fled to Uganda as a refugee. She grew up across the border in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). That area of the country had been dominated by the notorious ADF rebels. The group is affiliated to the Islamic State and in their effort to turn the area into a caliphate they had uprooted the local, mostly Christian population. It had become extremely difficult to live in that part of the DRC.

One day, a hospital was attacked and among those killed, was Jennifer’s husband. “My husband was sick and admitted to the hospital in Lume. The rebels went to the hospital and burnt it down, with the medicines and patients still inside. My husband and my brother-in-law were both killed in the flames.” Now widowed, Jennifer and her children sought a more peaceful and safer life in Uganda. She didn’t know however, that the ADF was making inroads there too.

In June 2023 fighters of the ADF attacked a boarding school in Uganda. They first separated Muslims from Christians. Then they killed 38 Christian students and 4 employees. Jennifer’s 16-year-old son, Richard, had been hired by the school to mow the grass. He was one of the 4 murdered employees.

“I was at home when I heard that children had been killed at the school. I decided to go there. When I arrived, I saw my son’s photo among pictures of the victims. They showed me a picture of his dead body. He was burnt and his clothes were removed. I couldn’t think straight anymore. I felt lonesome, as if I were just a shadow.”

At the time, Uganda’s information minister told the BBC that more than 30 students had been been killed but did not give their ages. Twenty of them were attacked with machetes and 17 of them had been burned to death.

Even far away from her home, living as a refugee in another country, Jennifer’s life was still impacted by violence. She had hoped to be safe from the ADF rebels in Uganda, but the attack on the school in Lhubiriha revealed that the violence was spreading wider. The school was located less than 2km from the Congolese border.

Attacks like the one at the school are highly unusual in Uganda where Muslims and Christians live in relative peace. But this shocking attack by Islamic extremists in 2023, caused much fear. And for Jennifer, a continuation of grief. “I always think about my late son and his dad. I isolate myself because of the stress. I really don’t know what to do. I have prayed to God, but He doesn’t reply. Sometimes I wonder if He is listening at all. My husband has passed away. My son who could have helped me, is gone too. What should I do? Every day is filled with prayers. Asking God to help me.”

The ADF rebels are still very active in this part of the continent, causing trauma to so many. Displaced people like Jennifer seek shelter in new places, only to discover the hardships, risks and dangers of life as a refugee.