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New Vision (Kampala)
January 28, 2003
Posted to the web January 28, 2003
Nathan Etengu
Kampala
KARIMOJONG pastoralists have blamed the UPDF for Thursday's military operation in which 13 ethnic Bokora pastoralists were shot dead and over 500 head of cattle impounded.
Moroto LC5 chairman Terence Achia said yesterday that the pastoralists who survived the operation complained of malice by the UPDF during the operation.
"They have blamed the army for not notifying them of any complaints against their stay in Katakwi district," Achia said.
The survivors were identified as Tulia and Longes Apa Loris of Lokopo sub-county.
Achia said the armed pastoralists had expected that they would have been given prior notice of the operation.
Tanks, armoured personnel carriers, bullet-proof mambas, a helicopter gunship and buffaloes attacked the armed Karimojong who had been grazing at Oruwo swamp in Katakwi district.
The operation followed complaints that the Bokora Karimojong were using Katakwi district as a hideout for cattle plundered from the Jie Karimojong grazing in Lira district.
The pastoralists were also accused of terrorising the host Iteso community, uprooting cassava, grazing in gardens and confiscating Iteso cattle that strayed into their herds.
Achia quoted the survivors as saying many children had got lost as a result of the operation.
The survivors claimed that they were living peacefully with the Iteso hosts when the UPDF launched the operation to flush them out.
