UPDF to Shoot Armed Karimojong
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The Monitor (Kampala)
February 14, 2005
Posted to the web February 14, 2005
Ibrahim Kasita & George W. Ocero
Kotido
The UPDF will shoot on spot any warrior found in possession of illegal gun(s) within or outside Karamoja, Lt. Col. Geoffrey Kakama, has said.
The 405 Brigade commander issued the order last week. The brigade is based in Kotido and charged with disarming the Karimojong warriors and is under the 3rd division. "The UPDF will shoot on sight any adamant warrior," he warned.
"I have ordered my 'green boys' to shoot on sight to get rid of this problem of ambushing vehicles and cattle rustling in the region once and for all," Kakama said in Kotido barracks during the 6th of February celebrations.
He said any warrior, who is fortunate to be arrested and found with illegal guns would be court martialled on charges of illegal possession of firearms.
He advised residents to hand over guns voluntarily under the disarmament process to ensure peace prevails in the region.
The brigade spokesman, Lt Deo Akiiki Asiimwe, said 416 guns were recovered in the last three months in Kotido. He said arms were recovered under the voluntary scheme aimed at withdrawing illegal guns from the Karimojong warriors.
"Most warriors voluntarily surrendered their guns to the local council officials and chiefs," Asiimwe said. He said warriors, especially from Jie and Dodoth counties, responded positively.
Asiimwe commended local chiefs for the sensitisation and mobilisation efforts in the recovery of the guns. The guns were paraded during the celebrations.
The government started the disarmament exercise in north-eastern Karamoja region in 2002, to recover 20,000 illegal weapons. About 10,000 guns were recovered in the region over one year.
Karimojong use the guns mostly for cattle rustling and to intimidate neighbouring communities in order to access pasture.
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The devastation in the region by the increasing cattle raids was aggravated by the increased flow of arms, increased attacks from neighbouring ethnic groups and failure by successive governments to find a lasting solution to the problem in the region.
Cattle rustling and gun-related violence have since brought problems like revenge killings, creation of 58 internally displaced peoples' camps (IDP) in the districts of Kapchorwa and Katakwi for about 90,000 people. Karamoja comprises Moroto, Nakapiripirit and Kotido districts and has a population of 920,498 people, but the majority have been armed for a long time.
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