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Kaabong pastoralists flee to S.Sudan over attacks by armed groups
A boy walks cattle along a recently constructed road. Karamoja region is wallowed in misery and suffering because of armed raids and cattle rustling. PHOTO/FILE/STEPHEN OTAGE
What you need to know:
- Pastoralists who started moving towards the South Sudan border points told Daily Monitor that the presence of security operatives in the district has ''done less to contain the situation.''
- UPDF 3rd Division Spokesperson Maj Peter Mugisa confirmed that the Matheniko of Moroto and the Jie of Kotido have formed an armed force- often attacking Kaabong but ‘‘the UPDF was on top of the situation.’’
Hundreds of pastoralists in Kaabong District, Karamoja Sub-region have fled their homes citing increasing attacks from combined 'forces' of armed Turkana, Jie and Matheniko cattle rustlers.
Pastoralists who started moving towards the South Sudan border points told Daily Monitor that the presence of security operatives in the district has ''done less to contain the situation.''
"They raid and kill people and animals frequently. Imagine if they can come and attack a kraal just next to the barracks without the army’s intervention- then who can help us other than running away," said Jeremiah Losike, one of the pastoralists and a resident of Sidok Sub county.
Peter Lokamar, another pastoralists and a resident of Kapedo Sub county said the warriors have raided his area four times in less than one week.
"We give UPDF information on time. Whenever cattle rustlers are entering to attack people, gunshots are loud enough but there is little response from security people,’’ he said.
Dodoth North County Member of Parliament (MP) Joseph Midi Komol expressed concern stating that people in Kaabong have lost more than 4,000 heads of cattle to warriors in less than one month.
"I’m sure these people who are running from Kaabong to South Sudan might be tempted to get arms from Sudan to come and revenge. We ask government to put much attention on addressing insecurity in Karamoja region," he said.
In 2001, government launched a disarmament exercise in Karamoja and collected nearly 50,000 guns.
Former Member of Parliament for Dodoth East County in Kaabong district, Mr Samson Lokeris said continuous attacks on people of Kaabong by the Turkanas, Jie and Matheniko shows gaps in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in Moroto on September 12, 2019 between President Museveni and his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta.
The MoU sought to amend matters between the Karimojong, Turkana and the West Kenya Pokots.
“The signing of that MOU seems to have created the room for Turkana pastoralists intensifying the attacks on the armless Karimojong," Mr Lokeris said.
UPDF reacts
UPDF 3rd Division Spokesperson Maj Peter Mugisa confirmed that the Matheniko of Moroto and the Jie of Kotido have formed an armed force- often attacking Kaabong but ‘‘the UPDF was on top of the situation.’’
