Brig Gen Joseph Balikudembe, the UPDF 3rd Division Commander said that some suspects who pretend to surrender guns peacefully have got a big following of raiders and setting them free becomes a mockery to the security forces. He says that several raiders who surrendered guns to the security forces have been re-arrested with more guns despite possessing amnesty certificates.
Brig Joseph Balikudembe, the UPDF 3rd division Army commander said the suspects Identified as Elijah Lobucel, the sub county chairperson and Mario Logit, the district councilor are accused of masterminding the killing of the GISO in Lokopo sub county.
John Robert Adupa the LCIII Chairperson Lotisan sub-county, says that the warriors attacked the kraal in the night and people who were guarding the kraal fled to the Army detach that is about 100 meters away.
Micheal Longole, the Mt Moroto regional police spokesperson said the weapons are suspected to belong to the LC3 chairpersons of Looro and Achorichori sub-counties who were arrested at the beginning of July 2022 after security received credible information that they owned illegal guns.
Josephine Naduk, a resident of Atedeoi village said that ever since they received goats from the government, they have never had a peace as rustlers’ roam throughout the nights looking for goats to steal.
Anjello Pulkol, the Loputuk sub-county councilor who is also a son of the deceased has disputed reports from security claiming that his father was killed because of spearing a security officer.
The government banned the sale of crude waragi that is supplied from Jinja, Lira, Mbale, and Soroti to Karamoja to allow locals to concentrate on development.
Remigio Achia, the chairperson Karamoja parliamentary group earlier asked president Museveni to provide protection for intelligent informers as they are a soft target
A number of youth on Monday turned up at Moroto Boma grounds where the recruitment exercise is ongoing but many were eliminated over lack of academic documents, while others failed to meet the required age bracket.
Micheal Longole, the Mt. Moroto regional police spokesperson told URN that Ochuu was attacked along with Robert Amenya, a boda boda rider by two Karamojong warriors armed with a gun.
Justin Tuko, the Moroto Deputy Resident District Commissioner-RDC, said they have already issued an order to security forces to shoot and kill those suspected of owning illegal firearms but they have given them the last chance to voluntarily hand over the firearms.
‘’Our attention has been drawn to an article running in different media alleging that there was a silent genocide in Karamoja. The article is totally not true and the public should not rely on these falsehoods,’’ Oware said.
According to Meri, there is a new element of commercialization of rustling, where wrongdoers connive to steal cows. He noted in the past, Karamojong used to raid for prestige, but it is currently driven by the desire for money.
Micheal Longole, the Mt. Moroto region police spokesperson said the energized operations are aimed at recovering illegal guns, arresting and prosecuting criminal elements who have been involved in cattle rustling.
John Paul Kodet, the LCV chairperson of Napak district, says that there is a need to break the cycle of livestock-based conflict using community mechanisms that would punish and discourage animal theft.
Isaac Oware, the UPDF 3rd Infantry Division spokesperson told URN in an interview over the weekend that no major incident was reported over the last two weeks. Oware said that they have been stepping up the number of troops on the ground to carry out day and night patrols with the view to strengthening the protection of civilians and recovery of illegal firearms from the suspected cattle rustlers.
