Museveni Warns Karamoja Gun Sellers

By Nathan Etengu In Moroto PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni is monitoring businessmen trafficking in illegal arms in the Karamoja region. He said the businessmen were discouraging the Karimojong from surrendering their guns under the ongoing disarmament programme. “I am monitoring them. If I find them, I will put them in jail,” Museveni told a delegation from Jie county, Kotido district on Wednesday night. The delegation that included self-styled “General” Lotang Apa Loryoki met Museveni at campsite at Morulinga, Moroto district. Museveni told the Jie delegation not to waste his time but to inform their sons to surrender the guns. “Do not waste my time, I only want the guns. You should not say in future that Museveni is a bad man if I decide to come for the guns myself,” Museveni said. The delegation included women, who lost their sons or have been widowed due to cattle raids and general lawlessness caused by the armed warriors. Museveni offered to assist a woman, who lost her three sons and a husband to the LRA rebels in Kitgum district. He, however, declined to assist Karimojong youth who said they were also victims of highway thuggery. “These ones could have been injured while going for a cattle raid,” Museveni said. The delegates told Museveni that the warriors had first been misinformed that the Local Defence Unit now being recruited in the region were to be taken to fight in Congo. Paul Luru from Panyangara parish said some of the warriors had declined to hand in their guns after learning that no certificates were being given for the surrendered guns. “Most people are fearing to hand in their guns because they feel that they many not benefit from the token of appreciation offered by you. They think that if they hand in their guns without any documentary proof, the chiefs and LCs may divert whatever would be given to them,” Loru said. Lodweny Apa Locurup confessed that he was one of the kraal leaders who had been dealing in guns from southern Sudan. He, however, said he had stopped the illegal trade and was ready to co-operate with the Government to expose other gun traffickers. Locurup said he knew gun-traffickers from Kitgum who sell guns to Karimojong. “I shall arrest them and hand them to government as proof,” Locurup said. Ends