Will the Karimojong be safe?

By Charles OpolotTHE disarmament of the Karimojong gunmen is set to enter a a new phase.February 15 will be the end of President Museveni’s extended grace period for the voluntary hand-over of illegal guns in the Karamoja region.But the question is: What will life be without guns in the hands of Karimojong pastoralists? Analysts say life will be the same. Karimojong have only volunteered to surrender a tenth of their guns and are willing to ‘die,’ with the others if the threat becomes real.President Museveni pitched camp in Morulinga, near Kangole trading centre in Moroto district for two weeks.While there, the President met all shades of Karimojong clansmen and told them to abandon their gun-guy mentality and mend fences of friendship amongst themselves and their neighbours.Out of the estimated 40,000 illegal arms under the armpits of the Karimojong, about 6,000 guns have so far been recovered in the voluntary gun hand-over.And with their population of about 300,000 people about 5,000 Karimojong have died in their gory inter-clan melee ever since the gun became a felt pelt.The pessimism written on the faces of the active Karimojong youth, popularly known as Ikarachuna, tells of a long and hard battle yet to come.Ikarachuna, who are the main men behind the survival of the Karimojong cattle culture, fear that the Pokot and Turkana from Kenya and the Didinga from Sudan will take their long earned wealth at ease, a threat which is a permanent reality.Analysts say that life in the eyes of the Karimojong is all about the cow, so whatever threatens a cow also threatens the whole community.In Karamoja cattle must be acquired, preserved and increased as a social and cultural necessity that badly requires the physical support of arms.To demonstrate their resolve, the Pokot in Amudat have fled to Kenya in their hundreds to ‘hide their guns’ with their Kenyan cousins.The Karimojong have believed for along time that a gun is their only source of wealth and security, no matter the cost and post.During the advent of arms-trading in Karamoja in early 80s, a gun traded at over 60 head of cattle, but the recent overlap of supply to demand prior to the disarmament, the price index of a gun fell to a low three head of cattle with a bonus of ten bullets.President Museveni, while meeting various Karimojong delegations warned of punitive measures for those who decline to hand-over the guns.He has promised to give a kick start boost (entandikwa) to clansmen ,women and opinion leaders who help in the exercise.In not so distant a time from now, many Karimojong will be proud owners of ox-ploughs and chains, maize flour and iron sheets among other things.The President also appealed to the donor community to assist Government in boosting the Karamoja entandikwa exercise, which he says will go a long way in improving peace and prosperity in the region.There has been reasonable deployment of the troops in Karamoja region and massive recruitment of Karimojong LDUs in all eight of its counties.According to Col. Sula Semakula, the Third Division commander, the combined deployment of UPDF and LDUs will check any aggression amongst the Karimojong clansmen as well as any outer attack from the neighbouring countries.Brigadier Kale Kaihura, UPDF Chief Political Commissar, said the disarmament exercise has been prompted due to inherent weaknesses of previous regimes to establish law and order in Karamoja.Kaihura said the forceful removal of guns was painful but inevitable because the UPDF was simply implementing the resolution passed by the Sixth Parliament to remove illegal guns from Karamoja. In spite of all these good intentioned political talk, a cross-section of Karimojong in the bottom of their hearts believe the exercise will leave them vulnerable.Having got used to a full granary gunnery unit, analysts say the Karimojong elite and businessmen are unwilling to cooperate, so they have become crusaders of disarmament charlatanism.“President Museveni has been here, but we are not convinced of the disarmament.If it becomes unbearable we shall flee to the mountains or to another country with our guns,” said one Aleper.Many Karimojong felt that government should have bought off guns from them, since they also acquired these arms at a fee.President Museveni rejected this view arguing that it would encourage the thuggery and illicit gun trafficking. Major Shaban Bantariza, army spokesman, said the Karimojong who will flee with guns will be wasting their time, because it is not a one day exercise such that they can afford to play a hide and seek game.Analysts say the disarmament is not likely to produce a win-win scenario in Karamoja, unless many issues like water, food security, inter-clan thuggery, ignorance and illiteracy among others are addressed by government as a matter of urgency.The Karimojong who want to be called warriors have for years had inter-clan running battles over cattle with effective help of firearms. It is their source of defence and offence, a scenario that is cherished as an epitome of heroism and martyrdom.