"Kony B" enter Lira Municipality
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By Hudson Aponyu, Lira (NV/A-T)
"KONY B": UPDF soldier camouflaged as LRA are robbing and killing
people in Lira
IT is now a month and a half since the beginning of cavorted acts of terror
by a group of what the locals are referring to as Kony B.
This group usually pounces at night, killing people, looting property
including money, video, radio TV and other household and shop items.
The perpetrators of these terror acts are never apprehended or arrested, even
though the UPDF and the police claim to have mounted a vigorous clampdown
operation which was launched in Lira boma grounds recently.
So far, in this clamp down operation hysteria, the UPDF have already killed
five people who they claim were the so gang of terrorists terrorising the
area, most of the killings took place in Ojwina Division. The DPC of Lira, ASP
Raymond Otim confirmed the killings and insists the police are investing the
circumstances of these killings.
One such killing occurred when a UPDF soldier, a one Okello Walter shot a
market trader (Mutembezi) insisting that the trader was a terrorist. The DPC
of Lira, ASP Raymond Okello also confirmed this incident and said that the
soldier has been arrested, charged with murder and is awaiting trial. A former
teacher of Apala SS, Thompson Acuc was also recently gunned down by the UPDF,
his relatives have instead since been arrested for reporting the incident. His
brother, Onyila Nathan, also a UPDF soldier is being held at the Lira army
barracks, while his Aunt Caroline Acuku and his Unclue have been detained at
the Lira police station.
This has not only caused so much anger but has created an environment of
suspicion and insecurity amongst the civilians in Lira. In a recent incident
for example, a police officer later identified as, a one Okurut escaped by the
whisker when in a hysteria of mob justice, he was severely beaten by the
civilians on suspicion that he is a thug and as such was inviting trouble from
the UPDF, to their village. In another incident, a UPDF soldier Ojok Moses who
went AWOL in Anai parish was instead beaten to near death by burglar who also
had other ideas in mind, Ojok was later rushed to Lira hospital where is still
nursing his wounds. Another police officer, Cpl Odot Joel was shot and injured
in the leg by unknown gunmen on the Lira Soroti highway. The reasons for
these incidences are yet unclear, but it is believed that these are UPDF and
police officers terrorising villagers, like in many other parts of the north.
In an inciteful statement, the RDC for Lira municipality instead said that
these are people from Kitgum coming to terrorise people in Lira and then go
back to Kitgum. The DPC, Raymond Otim said that they had increased patrols
during the day and night so that peace not destabilised. He also added that
workshops to sensitise the people will be held in order remove the menace of
gun terror. One elderly man who sought anonymity wondered why the
sensitisation was not directed at the UPDF and the police, since they were the
ones directing their guns at the civilians. Now that the LRA are in Sudan
and Congo, the other Kony B has remained visible for all to see, he
concluded.
There is a lot of apprehension and fear in Lira now than ever before, because
killings, looting, rape and other acts of criminality are on the increase
forcing many back into camps, especially in Agweng. The deputy Inspector
General of police, Julius Odwee vowed to post 30 policemen in every sub county
in Lira, Teso and Acholi region, in order to eliminate this Kony B menace.
[ENDS]
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