The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The UPDF has recovered 69 illegal firearms, 603 ammunition and over 4,300 stolen livestock during the ongoing disarmament program in Karamoja sub-region. The recovered animals include cattle, goats, sheep and donkeys that have since been returned to the rightful owners.
The 3rd division spokesman Maj. Peter Mugisa says that the UPDF registered the success from January to date when they stepped up the disarmament program alongside operations against cattle raids. The disarmament followed an outcry over raids that threatened the peace in Karamoja.
Maj. Peter Mugisa added that during the same period, the UPDF has killed 27 Karimojong cattle rustlers in different battles while 228 were arrested and charged in the army court-martial and civilians courts.
Maj. Mugisa revealed the achievements during a meeting with the Commander of Land Forces, Lt Gen Peter Elwelu who visited the region in Moroto to assess the success of the disarmament exercise and track the recovery of stolen cattle from the region. He attributes the successes to support from the local leaders.
The army says it will continue to deal with the wrong elements in the region until total peace is attained. Early this year, the slip in the security situation had scared investors in Moroto district according to the district chairperson Andrew Napaja, who also urged the UPDF to step up intelligence in order to remove guns from wrong elements.
Currently, cattle rustling remains an issue among the cattle keepers with at least a raid reported every week. This has forced the pastoralists to keep animals in protected kraals.
Despite the protection by mainly LDUs, there have been daring attacks by the armed warriors but they are often repelled. For example on Tuesday, there were two attempted raids on two protected kraals in Nadunget sub county but no livestock was stolen.
Mark Abuku, the Kaabong district chairman however says there are still more guns in the hands of pastoralists that must be removed. He also said a lot of cattle have never been recovered and wants the UPDF to improve on livestock recovery. Abuku says from Kaabong district as far as he is concerned, hundreds of cattle stolen way back in November 2019 have never been recovered.
The Kotido district chairperson Ambrose Lotukei also says a lot of livestock went to Turkana by the close of 2019 at the height of cattle raids but the UPDF has never recovered them.
The 3rd Division Commander Brig. Joseph Balikudembe says because of the sovereignty of each country, the UPDF cannot just walk into Kenya once cattle from Uganda crossover. He said the UPDF nowadays track the cattle before they crossing the border. Since January, Karamoja has not registered any raid from Turkana.
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