How I use blood of my dead colleagues cover myself to hide - Uganda school attack survivor

Student Julius Isingoma tell BBC how e miraculously survive one night-time assault by suspected Islamist rebels for im school dormitory for western Uganda.

"I put di blood of my dead colleagues for my mouth, ears and on my head so dat di attackers go think say I don die," e tok, wen we meet am for Bwera General Hospital for Kasese district.

About 40 pipo - 37 of dem students - die for di attack on di secondary school for di small town of Mpondwe on Friday night.

Uganda President Yoweri Museveni blame di attack on di Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), adding say dem dey "possibly working with oda criminals because I hear say school get some wrangles". E no elaborate, but vow to hunt down di militants for dia hide-outs across di border for di Democratic Republic of Congo.

Di ADF never comot to react.

Dem form am for 1990s and take up arms against Oga Museveni, alleging persecution of di minority Muslims population.

Im leader bin reportedly pledge allegiance to di Islamic State (IS) group for 2016.

But no be until April 2019 wey IS first acknowledge im activity for di area, when e claim one attack on army positions near di border with Uganda.

Di statement mark di announcement of IS's "Central Africa Province" (Iscap).

Belief dey say di militants bin kidnap Six students as dem dey retreat to DR Congo.

Julius dey among six pipo wey manage to survive di assault wey last for several hours.

E no fit identify di attackers, but say dem be gun-wielding men wey launch their attack at about 22:00 local time.

Dem come to di boys' dormitory but di students don lock am after realising say dem dey in danger.

"When dem no fit open di door dem throw a bomb inside di dormitory and den use hammers and axes to break down di door," e tok.

Julius dey stand behind many of di students wey bin form a shield near di door and dey shot dead when di militants enta di dormitory.

Plenti cries as dem gun down di students , hacked or shoot dem to death.

E sharparly climb to di top of one bunk bed, remove some of di wooden planks of di ceiling, and jumpe inside to hide.

From there, e helplessly watch as di assailants brutally murder im colleagues, and den set fire to mattresses and comot.

"I dey overwhelmed by di smoke and drop back down into di dormitory with a sound," e tok.

Di militants hear di thud and come back.

Na for dat point that Julius know say e gatz come out of di attack alive.

"I lay next to di bloodied bodies of my friends and think very fast. Den I smear a lot of blood into my ears, mouth and on my head and when di militants come, dem check my hand for a pulse and comot," Julius tok.

Another survivor, Godwin Mumbere, dey for di same dormitory as Julius.

Di18-year-old remember say di assailants dey to di girls dormitory, dragging dem out and hacking dem to death with machetes.

Dem come enter di boys' dormitory, break down di door and start to dey attack di students.

Dem overturn di bed wey Godwin dey hide under and im friends wey dey on top fall to di ground and dem kill dem.

"Di attackers see me but think say I don die," e tell di BBC.

But dem go out and come back into di dormitory to ensure say everyone don die.

"Na for dat point dem shoot me for di hand and set di dorm on fire," e tok.

Godwin come back reality by di shouts of another student wey say dem dey die.

E run out comot di dormitory, scale di school gate and run to a nearby hardware store through one cocoa plantation. E get to one lodge and hide under one vehicle until dem rescue am.

Clarice Bwambare, di senior administrator of Bwera General Hospital, tell di BBC dem bin start receiving di bodies of students and residents at around 01:00 - about three hours after di attack start on Friday night.

E note say out of di 20 bodies wey dem receive, 18 na students.

Five survivors dey currently recuperate for di hospital. One of dem na girl wey still dey critical condition for di intensive care unit. One surgeon advise say she no fit move because of severe head injury from being hit with a hammer by di rebels.

Oga Bwambare say na only one body dem never claim from di mortuary.

On Sunday, grief-stricken families bury 21 of di students, according to Uganda New Vision newspaper.

Lying on im hospital bed, Julius express regret say e no fit attend dia funerals.

E say e wish e bin soldier wey fit fight back and save di lives of im friends and colleagues.