THE army and the Police have destroyed 7,127 bombs and rusty weapons abandoned by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in the return villages in Gulu and Kitgum districts.
Northern Uganda army spokesman Capt. Ronald Kakurungu told a press conference on Friday that military hardware was also recovered in Amuru and Pader districts last year.
The ammunition included 23 landmines, 277 grenades, 154 rocket propelled grenades, 471 mortars, 6,171 guns and 10 bombs.
“We must make resettlement conducive by removing all the remaining war materials,” Kakurungu noted.
He said most of the items were recovered in Agoro and Ngomoromo village in Kitgum near the border with Sudan.
Kakurungu also assured the people trying to resettle in their villages that no landmines were found in Kitgum district.
“People returning to their villages have been concerned about the presence of landmines and other unexploded ordinances, saying most of the areas were battlefields and not safe for settlements,” Kakurungu noted.
He added that the army and local leaders have encouraged former displaced people to resettle in their villages through confidence building.
“About 82% of former internally displaced people in this region have returned to their villages,” Kakurungu stated.
He said soldiers have received training in human and child rights protection.
