‘We’re dying’: Abim residents block roads over killings, cattle theft
Business in the two town councils of Abim and Kiru in Abim District in Karamoja sub region was on Monday morning paralysed for hours as residents blocked roads in protest against what they described as unending cattle raids and killings of innocent people by suspected rustlers. PHOTOS/ STEVEN ARIONG
What you need to know:
- At least 251 suspected cattle rustlers were killed last year in the sub-region by a joint force of police and the army, with most deaths attributed to forceful disarmament operations.
Business in the two town councils of Abim and Kiru in Abim District in Karamoja sub region was on Monday morning paralysed for hours as residents blocked roads in protest against what they described as unending cattle raids and killings of innocent people by suspected rustlers.
The protests also involved burning of car tyres in the middle of the road from as early as 6am and lasted about four hours after police intervened to contain the situation.
Business in the two town councils of Abim and Kiru in Abim District in Karamoja sub region was on Monday morning paralysed for hours as residents blocked roads in protest against what they described as unending cattle raids and killings of innocent people by suspected rustlers. PHOTOS/ STEVEN ARIONG
"We want our message to go to the president. We are dying day and night and seems nothing is being done to save us,” said one of the protestors, Mr George Owilli.
Another protestor, Ms Grace Akidi, said her home was raided three days ago and 10 of her goats were stolen.
"We are requesting the government to give us three guns per village so that we take security matters into our own hands since it seems the soldiers on the ground have failed," she said.
Police however, managed to convince the protestors to calm down and return to their homes.
Mr Micheal Longole, the Karamoja regional police spokesperson said the situation was contained after the protestors accepted to cooperate with the police.
According to him, the protestors had not been authorized to demonstrate.
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"We didn't have any argument with them. It's their right to protest but no body authorized them. The issues of security in the sub region are under control," he said.
The security situation in the impoverished and volatile sub region in the country's northeast has been deteriorating with cattle theft and deaths registered almost on a daily basis despite heavy deployment of soldiers and police.
Karamoja -- a sparsely populated and underdeveloped region -- has been wracked for decades by insecurity due to tit-for-tat armed cattle raids between clans.
With a porous border and thriving illicit trade, the Karimojong nomadic communities have staged several often-fatal road ambushes and robberies in the lawless region.
The government has in the past conducted several security operations to retrieve illegal firearms from the community.
Some 170 illegal guns and more than 15,000 stolen cattle have been recovered since July last year, according to government figures.
At least 251 suspected cattle rustlers were killed last year in the sub-region by a joint force of police and the army, with most deaths attributed to forceful disarmament operations.
