UPDF recovers 2,000 cattle in Acholi, Lango

Agago, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda People’s Defence Forces-UPDF have recovered 2,700 cattle that were raided from East Acholi by suspected Karamojong rustlers.

Capt. Amos Nsamba, the Spokesperson of the UPDF 5th Division, says that the animals were recovered in the past six months from Kitgum, Pader, Lamwo in Acholi and Alebtong and Otuke in the Lango sub-region.

Nsamba said the animals are still being kept at dam Longole in Agago District, because the owners, who were asked to go and pick them up last week did not have credible documents to prove ownership.

Nsamba said that since the number of claimants is not known, the district leaders and other stakeholders will hold a meeting in Agago to come up with measures for verifying the genuine owners, to prevent cases of ghost claimants infiltrating the process.

Nsamba added that the UPDF in the 3rd and 5th Divisions in Kotido and Agago, respectively, have intensified operations against the suspected cattle raiders, which led to the arrest of more than 30 a week ago.

Jimmy Segawa Ebil, the RDC of Kitgum District said the operation to recover stolen animals will continue, adding that the leaders in the affected district met the Prime Minister a week ago, and requested that operations against the cattle raider be intensified.

Ebil said in addition to the operation that led to the arrest of more than 300 cattle raiders in October 2022, another operation conducted on the 5th of this month, led to the arrest of more than 30 suspected rustlers.

Emmanuel Okot, the RDC of Agago District, said their request to the Prime Minister was to handle the rustlers with iron fists because their attacks are becoming more aggravated, which include killing people and burning houses.

Christopher Obo Arwai, the LCV Chairperson Kitgum, said the Karamojong cattle rustlers can no longer be considered as cattle rustlers, but dealers in animals, because they now carry out the raids throughout the year, unlike in the past when they only raided animals during the dry season.

The Karamojong have over the past two years intensified their raids in the East Acholi districts of Agago and Kitgum. Currently, more than 700 residents of Agago district are living as displaced persons following the frequent attacks.

Statistics from the leaders indicate that in 2022 at least 24 people were killed by suspected Karamojong and 938 animals were raided and never recovered in Agago district, while in Kitgum at least 1,032 goats and 501 cattle were raided in 2022 alone.

Two days ago, President Museveni apologized for the constant raids of cattle and assigned RDCs to give him detailed reports on the attacks so that it is ended.

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