Fort Patiko
The fort was initially constructed by the Arabs as a slave collection Centre. Sir Samuel Baker took over the fort from 1872 to 1888 when he was sent on a mission by the Queen of England to stop the slave trade which was being carried out by the Arabs slave traders.
The fort then became the headquarters for Emin Pasha and Gordon, the respective Governors of the Equatorial Province of the British Protectorate.
Slaves were a key trading item for the Arabs too and were captured from northern Uganda, Gondokoro in Sudan, and other areas. Ocecu Hill became a sorting ground for slaves. Healthy-looking ones were forced to trek from Patiko, through Sudan across the Red Sea and sold in Egypt.
The fort had the following divisions
which were instrumental to the Arab slave traders:
- The industrial area
- Courtyard
- Prosecution Chamber- by (firing squad/beheading)
- Concrete stores
- Administrative Chamber
Fort
Patiko is located about 32 kilometers
north of Gulu Town, the fort is enclosed by a 16 feet wide and 15 feet deep
trench dug by slaves on the orders of the Arabs to avoid the escape of
captives. The site covers about 9.4 hectares.
It is neighbored by six hills – Ajulu, Ladwong, Akara, Abaka and Labworomor to the
north and Kiju hill to the south.
This historical site is in Northern Uganda, Gulu district at
Ocecu Hills, Ajulu parish, patiko subcounty in Aswa County about 50 minutes’
drive from Gulu city Centre. While the history and the remains of the site is
very rich and enlightening, the natural beauty and scenery of the entire area
is breathtaking.
The stunning views of isolated rock outcrops beyond the fort and
the vast open natural vegetation seen miles on are some of the unforgettable
sights in the area.
Activities
Apart from the historical lesson from this site, you can have an
opportunity to hike in the area to one of the hills close.
-Bird watching
-Cultural interactions
-Site seeing
-Village walks and much more
