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One killed, two injured in fresh Tororo wetland clashes
Locals and security officers are seen at the crime scene on August 17, 2024 before police retrieved the body of John Martine Ofambo (not in picture), who wa killed during inter-community clashes in Tororo District. PHOTO/JOSEPH OMOLLO
What you need to know:
- Both communities have been demanding full access to use a wetland on the border of West Budama and Tororo County.
One person has been confirmed dead after he was hacked to death during fresh land clashes between two rice growing communities in the Nweyo-Amurwo wetland area on Saturday morning.
The deceased has been identified as John Martine Ofamba Obbo, a resident of Naweyo East Village, Namwendya Parish in Tororo District’s Sop Sop Sub-county.
Cross-boundary clashes between residents of Merikit and Sop Sop sub counties have also left two other people seriously injured.
Eyewitnesses told Monitor that Saturday clashes were reportedly led by a group of Iteso people from Tororo County, who attacked their Jopadhola neighbors in West Budama Northeast.
Both communities have been demanding full access to use a wetland on the border of West Budama and Tororo County.
It is reported that in an ensuing scuffle, Ofamba was attacked and killed on spot by farmers wielding pangas and hoes.
Tororo deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Albert Amula confirmed the incident saying “his body had been retrieved and conveyed to Tororo General Hospital pending postmortem.”
According to Amula, an assessment of the situation on the ground showed that many acres of rice paddies in the wetland were slashed and a large number of cattle stolen from the Merikit side.
“The cattle thefts may have been conducted by people who took advantage of the chaos to loot homesteads in pretense of revenge,” he explained.
Amula revealed to Monitor that the district security committee, which he heads, has suspended farming in the wetland until issues raised by the warring sides are solved.
''Last year, we as the district security committee equally suspended farming activities from the wetland after getting intelligence information on threats to shade blood but again the two communities pleaded and pledged to cooperate. We are taking a stern position of giving it an indefinite suspension,'' he emphasized.
Tororo District Police Commander (DPC) Sadat Sabila emphasized that security forces are set to deploy at the wetland to enhance restraint from the two communities.
"We hear that you have stolen cattle in revenge but take note that that is also criminal but for now we say we forgive because you could have acted out of anger. Don't repeat it because we shall not spare you," he warned.
Tororo District LC5 chairperson John Okeya condemned the clashes as he tasked police to ensure that the attackers are brought to book.
"How do you go ahead to do away with someone's live from government's land? We are going to sit in the district security committee, and we shall communicate our position," he added.
However, he also called for calm.
