K’jong, Kony sow mayhem in Otuke
By Alex B. Atuhaire
Otuke County (Lira) MP Omara Atubo yesterday said government should deploy enough soldiers to deal with insecurity in his constituency.
Mr. Atubo was speaking as guest at the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) weekly press conference at Uganda House. He cited double invasion by rebels of Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and Karimojong cattle rustlers as the cause of the alarming situation.
The conference was addressed by UPC Presidential Policy Commission (PPC) chairman Dr. James Rwanyarare and attended by party officials Henry Mayega, Oweyegha Afuunaduula, Peter Walubiri and Patrick Kirunda.
Mr. Atubo described the situation as a human tragedy and accused the army of not protecting civilians.
“Why should the army attack the Karimojong herdsmen, remove their cattle, then withdraw without protecting civilians?” Mr. Atubo asked.
He said the army's recent attack against the Karimojong had prompted them to kill, loot, destroy and rustle at will.
Mr. Atubo has asked that humanitarian assistance including food, drugs and clothing should be rushed to the area and boreholes sunk to supply water.
Dr. Rwanyarare said in a press statement that the party decries the recent attack on the Red Cross convoy.
He said the explanation given by the army spokesman Maj. Shaban Bantariza was not enough.
Dr. Rwanyarare said the party welcomes the pull out of UPDF troops from the DR Congo and asked government to abandon the military option in the northern conflict.
He said government should use Archbishop John Baptist Odama and his peace team to pursue a peaceful end to the war.
