Disarming Karimojong alone won’t work

Sep 04, 2008

EDITOR — I read the contribution by Paddy Ankunda, the UPDF spokesman, calling for the treatment of Karimojong warriors as criminals. The Karimojong case has always bothered me.

EDITOR — I read the contribution by Paddy Ankunda, the UPDF spokesman, calling for the treatment of Karimojong warriors as criminals. The Karimojong case has always bothered me.

The issue of cattle rustling should be looked at with a regional perspective. I remember the President spending months to disarm them, but the problem still persists. Disarming the Karimojong alone will not solve the problem. People on the Kenyan, Sudanese and even Ethiopian sides should also be disarmed, but I wonder how that will happen.

It is unwise and unfair to try to disarm or criminalise the Karimojong alone.

Will the UPDF be in a position to protect all the cattle in the area? The Karimojong need guns to protect their cattle. I do not think the Government needs to deploy the army in that area. I am convinced any disarmament exercise will fail.

Hyley Vambeco,
Kampala

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