Epitu Gadi, the Kaabong District Deputy Resident District Commissioner revealed that the people killed were either investigating the rustlers or those who have reported to the authorities about the raids of their cattle.
Thirty five people were reportedly killed in Karamoja Sub Region
in two months by the suspected cattle rustlers.
The dead among others include the Chairperson Peace Committee of
Kotido District Aboka Muzer, Lotio Paul, Koranga Denis, Ataba P’Longole, Ekome
Mathew all residents of Kotido District. Others are Longojin Lugole,
Apakole Luraka and Lokomole Angongolere from Nabilatuk District.
Epitu Gadi, the Kaabong District Deputy Resident District
Commissioner told Uganda Radio on Thursday in an interview that 10 people were killed
from Kaabong from February to March this year.
Epitu revealed that the people killed were either investigating
the rustlers or those who have reported to the authorities about the raids of
their cattle.
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According to Epitu, the District is in the process of instituting
members of the peace committees in all the sub-counties to coordinate with
security in fighting the cattle thieves and also to aid the disarmament process.
Gloria Alenga Kevin, a resident of Nabilatuk District says the
killing is worrying and called for an investigation and heavy deployment of the
security forces into the region.
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Peter Mugisha, the UPDF Third Division Spokesperson has confirmed the killings but noted the terrain of the region has made
the pursuit of the cattle rustlers difficult.
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“The groups are armed and have equally killed two of our soldiers
recently but the number of the people killed from the region recently could be
more than that which I can’t tell now” Mugisha noted.
Several of the Districts in the Acholi Sub Region have fallen victims to
the cattle raids from the suspected Karamojong warriors.
Simon Wokorach
Freelancer