The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda People’s Defence Forces-UPDF is set to demobilize all Local Defence Unit-LDU personnel in the Karamoja region due to acts of misconduct.
The LDUs are accused of misusing government stores in their possession by hiring out the guns and uniforms to criminals and participating in cattle rustling. Last week, an LDU attached to Matany sub county hired out his gun to criminals.
Last year, LDUs at a security checkpoint shot dead two youths riding on a motorcycle after police notified them to stop the boys on allegations of theft of 300,000 shillings. The two were employees of a hotel in Moroto town. There have also been several murders across Karamoja linked to LDUs.
Brig. Joseph Balikudembe, the 3rd Division Commander says that there is need to demobilize all LDUs in Karamoja for also aiding cattle theft in the region.
Balikudembe says that the LDUs will be subjected to scrutiny and those ineligible will return to the military training school to ensure that they become well-trained in military service.
Members of Parliament from the region have welcomed the decision saying it is proper to retrain the LDUs who had only received training for only 3-6 months.
The LC V chairperson Moroto, David Koriang says that there have been several cases of insubordination and criminal conduct by LDUs against the civilians. He also says that there is a need to educate them about their role as security personnel adding that most of them received short training and were deployed to their home districts.
According to Joseph Otita, the LC III chairperson of Rupa sub county in Moroto district, the welfare of the LDUs should be improved. He says that some LDUs are poorly paid and have no option, but engage in criminal acts like theft.
In 2013, the UPDF recruited 1,400 Local Defense unit (LDU) personnel in the Karamoja sub-region to help boost the disarmament exercise in the sub-region.
Last year, at least 4,000 were passed out in Olilim after completing a 3 months training.
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