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More arrests as army cracks down on cattle raids
Local leaders from Moroto and Turkana during the handover of stolen cattle in Rupa Sub County recently. AGENCIES PHOTO
Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) have arrested six more people in the latest crackdown on cattle thefts in Karamoja region.
The arrest of the six brings to 14, the number of suspects being held in connection to the fresh round of cattle thefts. Two of the suspects are Local Defence Unit personnel from Kotido District.
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Ugandan army kills 29 cattle raiders
Army says most of those killed were from the Jie and Dodoth pastoral communities, but that the number may also include ethnic Turkana from neighbouring Kenya who were making increased incursions to steal cattle in Uganda
The army has resorted to the cordon and search operations, which have now extended from Kotido to other parts of Karamoja. The operations led to the recovery of four firearms and 153 cows, 37 goats and six donkeys from various parts of Karamoja last week.
Capt Abert Arinaitwe, the 3rd Division army spokesman, says they are following cattle rustlers from their hideouts using intelligence on the ground.
"We launched a cordon and search operations two weeks ago in Kotido but spread in all these other districts of Karamoja. We follow these thieves up to where ever they are and we shall get all of them," Captain Arinaitwe said in a text.
Adding that, "They are armed and usually engage soldiers at every encounter.” Capt. Arinaitwe.
According to him, all the suspects will appear before the 3rd Division Court Martial at unspecified date.
Between January 1 and 10 this year, about 511 cows and seven donkeys were recovered in Panyangara and Nakapelimoru sub counties in Kotido District during cordon and search operations. Five people including three suspected warriors and two civilians were killed in a fire exchange with the army.
Capt. Arinaitwe says the cattle thefts are now commercialized and coordinated by thieves outside Karamoja.
Emmanuel Loki, the Moroto District Male youth councillor says they are worried for their livestock and lives since the thefts are graduating into raids with arms. He appealed to security agencies especially UPDF to intensify their operations in the cattle corridor.
This comes barely a day after the UPDF said it had killed 29 armed cattle raiders in the porous north-eastern region bordering South Sudan and Kenya, in a military operation which has entered its third month.
"There have been isolated cases of contacts and clashes between the UPDF (the Ugandan army) and the warriors. In all these contacts we have killed 29, the most recent being Friday January 19, where we killed one (raider)," army spokesman Captain Albert Arinaitwe said on Monday.
