Suspected South Sudanese bandits cited in Lamwo villages

Lamwo, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Suspected livestock bandits from South Sudan are reportedly marauding within the borders of Agoro and Madi Opei sub counties in Lamwo district.

The Resident District Commissioner James Nabinson Kidega says he has received reports from residents claiming to have spotted unknown armed persons moving in Lopulingi and Ngacino parishes in Agoro sub county and Lawiye Oduny parish in Madi Opei sub county.

He says the bandits believed to be over ten in number and armed with guns, bows and arrows have for the past two weeks been spotted in Lacimidik, Lotuko and Dog-Tangi villages in Lawiye Oduny parish in Madi Opei sub county.

Other affected villages include Agula, Loboyoko, Palocire in Lopulingi parish and Irumo and Obere villages of in Ngacino parish in Agoro sub county.

According to Kidega, intelligence reports show that the bandits entered Lamwo from the neighbouring Ikotos State of South Sudan with the aim of terrorizing livestock farmers.

Kidega says a joint security team comprising Uganda People’s Defense Forces-UPDF, Anti Stock Theft Unit and local vigilantes have intensified their the pursuit of the bandits.

This comes barely weeks after security agencies pursued livestock thieves that had stolen 70 goats from Agoro sub county and retreated to South Sudan.

The officers injured one of the bandits and recovered the stolen animals. Peter Odwar, the Ifuda Bomah Chief of Tseretenya in Ikotos county of South Sudan says the bandits are part of cattle rustling gangs that maraud largely in ungoverned forests in South Sudan.

He has pledged his commitment to ensuring that authorities from both sides share intelligence that will lead to the arrest of the bandits.

Denis Onyon, the Agoro sub county LC III chairperson attributes the spate of livestock thefts to the Independence period where the bandits expect the farmers to spend time in festivities leaving their animals unattended too.

According to Onyon, about 80 heads of cattle were rustled from Agoro sub county between January and August 2020.

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