Cattle rustlers injure two in Moroto

Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Security personnel in Moroto district are hunting for armed Karimojong cattle rustlers who shot and injured two people in Moroto. The incident that took place on Monday night in Nadunget sub-county left residents sleepless.

Michael Longole, the Karamoja Regional Police Spokesperson identified the injured as Cosmos Nachapa and David Loiki, both residents of  Nacele village, Nangorit parish in Nadunget sub-county. According to Longole, the victims fell in an ambush laid by rustlers.

“It’s believed that these warriors were four in number both armed and they hard a mission to raid animals in Nacele, so when they saw the victims returning to their homes, the rustlers panicked and shot at them injuring them on the legs, “he said.

Longole said the police and army quickly rushed to the scene but the rustlers fled.

Timothy Longok, a resident of Nacele village says that they are living in fear after the government withdrew all the Local Defence Unit-LDU personnel and took them for further training.

Last year, UPDF withdrew all the Karimojong Local Defense Unit and took them back for training. Others have since been integrated into UPDF while others were dismissed.

The withdrawal of the LDUs in Karamoja follows several complaints that the LDUs were hiring guns to the rustlers.

“Yes, the army and police have been deployed in the region but they are not everywhere, this has left a gap for rustlers to disturb people, “he said.

James Lodungokol, another resident appealed to security forces to increase day and night patrols in the rural areas and not only in towns.

“We are seeing the security only concentrating in town leaving rustlers disturbing people in the villages,” he said.

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