Over 4000 Karamojong warriors arrested during Usalama Kwa Yote operations have been convicted of various offenses ranging from illegal possession of firearms to murder, and cattle rustling.
The region currently has 82 police stations and 17 outposts but the number is expected to exceed 139 in the period of five years according to the regional police commander with the new development.
Police Spokesperson Michael Longole, says that security is very vigilant and had laid an ambush in a hotspot in Abim. On Friday police announced that they had already deployed in all hot spots in Karamoja including the routes often used by warriors to raid.
According to the UPDF Spokesperson for 3rd Infantry Division, Capt. Edrin Mawanda, the government troops on usual patrol entered an ambush laid by the warriors in Namaire but the army defeated the warriors killing two during fire exchange.
A consortium of NGOs including Mercy Corps, Catholic Relief Services and White Taker among others are mobilizing the youths and families that handed over illegal guns voluntarily with an aim of sensitizing and empowering them for income generating activities such that they do not go back to raiding.
The 16 were apprehended today, Sunday in Nadunget Sub County during a peaceful identification exercise for over 1,700 impounded cattle from Kodonyo and Napar-Kwangan parishes in Lopuyo Sub County, Moroto district.
So far 88 guns have been recovered out of the estimated 500 illegal firearms in Karamoja, says the Division Commander, Brig. Joseph Balikudembe who has led the two-fold disarmament that includes, voluntary and cordon and search operations
Emmanuel Longes Lorika, the Local Council III Chairperson of Lorengechora Sub County, says that 2, 973 head of cattle have been raided from the area by suspected warriors from Napak, Moroto and Amudat districts.
EU ambassadors have pitched camp in Karamoja on a five-day joint mission where they held several meetings on security, education, environmental management, wildlife protection, tourism, teenage pregnancies and mining.
The valley dam is part of a bigger project comprising 8 valley dams built in different areas in the Karamoja sub-region at Shillings 46 billion (11 million Euros).
Reports indicate that about four armed warriors entered Lokirus’s kraal and when he came out to find out what was happening, he was shot several times and the warriors fled .
A five-member delegation of security personnel from South Sudan’s Torit state accompanied by political and cultural leaders handed the animals to Lamwo district leaders at Apiriti border point in Madi-Opei sub-county on Sunday.
Paul Loruu Nabolikoko, the LCIII Chairperson of Panyangara Sub County said the UPDF followed the warriors recovering only 176 heads of cattle, just a fraction of the 22 herds
John Chilla, the Nakapelimoru Sub County LC III Chairperson, says suspected warriors abducted an elderly woman and a teenager last week from a settlement Camp. He says the warriors killed the teenager in the thicket while the old woman sustained fractures resulting from torture by the warriors.
The additional 215 UPDF soldiers under the fifth Infantry Division were deployed over the week to counter incursion of armed Karamojong cattle thugs disrupting security and farming.
According to Gamba, Sudan Loses US$5.6 billion, Kenya, US$500 million, Uganda US$110 Million, South Sudan US$2.7 billion while each person in Ethiopia loses up to US$13,000 in cattle rustling annually.
They were arrested by UPDF Soldiers from 405 Brigade based at Nakapelemoru Sub County in Kotido and handed over to Otuke District Security authority headed by the Resident District Commissioner, Robert Abak .
