Treat Karimojong warriors as criminals

Sep 02, 2008

On August 19, 2008, three armed Karimojong warriors sneaked into Wipolo village of Orom sub-county, Kitgum district, and stole 14 head of cattle. The Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) pursued and killed two of them.

Paddy Ankunda

On August 19, 2008, three armed Karimojong warriors sneaked into Wipolo village of Orom sub-county, Kitgum district, and stole 14 head of cattle. The Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) pursued and killed two of them.

The army also captured two guns and six rounds of ammunition from the warriors. All the stolen animals were recovered. Part of the group attempted to raid Patika village of Agoro sub-county in the same district but was quickly intercepted. One warrior was killed in the process and a rifle with 15 rounds of ammunition recovered.

Earlier in the month, the warriors had attacked a World Food Programme (WFP) convoy, injuring a soldier who was driving one of the escort vehicles. Later during pursuit, the army arrested Lotee Locham who masterminded the ambush and his three accomplices. Three guns were recovered from them.

The warriors also attacked a bus belonging to the Gateway company on August 14 and 15, killing a woman called Sarah Chekwemoi, a teacher of Kabong Primary School and injured six other people. The tan boy of the bus later died from severe injuries in Moroto Hospital. There have been many such attacks in the region for sometime.

Therefore, security forces, especially the army and the Police are confronted with a type of banditry that borders on criminality. The warriors are not mere rustlers but criminals.

Cattle rustling in Karamoja has changed from the raiding of domestic animals among ethnic groups to theft for commercial reasons and the warriors are ready to kill for money.

This is why President Yoweri Museveni instructed the army to try those involved in committing these crimes in the courts martial.

Since the tear begun, the army has recovered 1,697 guns. Of these, only 4% were handed over voluntarily. Efforts to recover guns from those unwilling to hand them over voluntarily have yielded good results. The warriors are unwilling to hand over the guns and have turned to criminal behaviour.

In July, 61 warriors were been convicted and 21 others remanded. A total of 84 have been convicted this year. It is encouraging that on average, over 100 guns are recovered every month.

However, neighbouring countries which are equally affected by cattle rustling and arms trade must reciprocate this effort.

The writer is the Defence/
UPDF spokesman

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