UPDF needs 5b/- to disarm K'jong

Sep 05, 2001

THE Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF), needs sh5b to disarm Karimojong warriors.

By Chris Osekeny Jamu THE Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF), needs sh5b to disarm Karimojong warriors. The disaster preparedness state minister Christine Amongin-Aporu, told the internally displaced people in Katakwi on Sunday that the disarmament exercise might take a bit of time to begin. Aporu urged Ugandans to pray and lobby for help for the displaced people. “The UPDF 3rd Division Commander, Col. Geoffrey Taban, told me that disarming the Karimojong raiders needs gunships, support weapons, armoured personnel carriers, plenty of dry rations, arms and ammunition. So it is not all that cheap,” Aporu said. She said she was happy to note that many of the displaced persons had become saved (born again christians), praying everyday and the majority were carrying Bibles and rosaries all the time. The Katakwi LC5 chairman, Stephen Okure-Ilemukorit, urged the Government to suspend recruitment of 156 men in the local defence unit from Karamoja’s 44 sub-counties. Local council officials and opinion leaders in Katakwi said recruiting the Karimojong as LDUs was an indirect way of increasing guns and bullets available to the raiders.

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