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Inside Museveni meeting with Acholi, Lango leaders
President Museveni meets Acholi political, religious and cultural leaders at Barlegi State Lodge in Okwang Sub-county, Otuke District, on May 15, 2023. PHOTO/PPU
What you need to know:
- Security agencies are developing a kraal-based information system where locals will be given mobile phones to report cattle raiders.
President Museveni has asked Acholi leaders to give his government two months to mobilise and rid the sub-region of the persistent cattle rustling by armed Karimojong warriors.
The President made the commitment while meeting Acholi political, religious and cultural leaders at Barlegi State Lodge in Okwang Sub-county, Otuke District, on Monday.
Mr Museveni briefed the leaders on the new steps the government is set to undertake to pacify the Acholi region.
“I want to report to you what we discussed and decided, it may take us two months to fully mobilise (and do) what I am saying and we shall put more force, more equipment and manpower and finish this problem (of cattle rustling) once and for all,” Mr Museveni said.
As a way of fighting the vice, Mr Museveni told the leaders that security agencies were developing a kraal-based information system where locals will be given mobile phones by the army to promptly report incidents of cattle raids for military action.
“I have bought for these fellows (the army) all types of equipment. We used this approach in Morulinga (Matany Sub-county, Napak District) last year. Where the foot soldiers cannot see the raiders, they can call a helicopter gunship and that is why the gunship is the answer,” he added.
Where the raiders resort to attack in small groups for fear of aerial attacks, Mr Museveni said police will deploy sniffer dogs to trace isolated incidents of raids.
The President regretted that the army and police have not been swift enough in dealing with the notorious Karimojong raiders, who have continued to strip the communities of Acholi, Lango and Teso of their lives and animals.
He said by the time the UPDF ends the operation against the raiders, the Karamojong people will have lost all appetite for guns.
“You wait, you will see how they will lose their appetite [for the gun]. A Karimojong will see a gun lying down and will not dare touch it. They have no right to have illegal guns. If you have them, you die.” During the meeting, Acholi Paramount Chief David Onen Acana II expressed scepticism over the UPDF’s willingness to defend the Acholi communities against the Karamojong raiders.
“The problem of the Karimojong rustlers needs to be dealt with right at source before they cross the border this side. When I visited villages in Agago, I learnt that there was a farm where the Karimojong gather in the guise of doing farm work and later in the night attack people. The army knows this,” he said.
Agago MP Lagen David Atuka told the President that one of the challenges in fighting raiders in both Agago and Kitgum districts was deploying UPDF soldiers of Karimojong origin, whom he accused of conniving with the raiders.
Mr Augustine Modo, the Pader deputy Resident District Commissioner, accused some army commanders in Karamoja of propagating raids since they share the loot with the rustlers.
Corruption mess
Mr Museveni said when the army advised him on the use of intelligence-led operations, the army quickly turned the approach into a money-extorting scheme from innocent civilians. “I supported intelligence-led operations, but the problem is that corruption came. These soldiers were arresting innocent people on suspicion of being cattle raiders and if you want to be released, you pay money, so they were using it as a means to extort money. This is terrible but it will be sorted,” he said.
