Prime
My take on the Karamoja raids
Dr James Elima
What you need to know:
Bring back the civil-military liaison which greatly succeeded in the first disarmament, let people feel the goodwill of peace and severely curtail the perpetrators.
World over from the Prairies of North America to the Pampas of South America to the Veld of South Africa and the Kazo – Nakasongola and Karamoja-Turkana corridors: These zones define Cattle Keeping as a livelihood and a full-time job which requires skill, dedication and commitment.
The story of Karamoja is quite a journey for people who wake up to graze with uncertainty but with hope: that tomorrow will be another better day for their livelihood. Indeed, the government in its initial masterpiece: The Ten Point Program recognized the Problem of Karamoja and acted on it. For those who don’t know this region, it’s the richest place in Uganda with an assortment of very valuable minerals and a vast array of capital investment goods.
Then why the insecurity: My 25 years in the region has given me an array of parameters for analysis: the pre-colonial history of the region, post-independence negligence, disadvantage of unguarded peace, influx of small arms from the insecure regions and internal rivalries of the communities and their neighbors.
The question then is how far was penetration of trust in the post disarmament period: was the disarmament spatial, differential or universal process. Then what happened to communities who gave up arms willingly and voluntarily and their backs were left ‘Mugogo Wazi’. However, the fact of the matter was the communities who offered deception for disarmament and peace; and remained the dominant force which has continued to contribute to today’s raids and insecurity.
While the local leaders have failed to consolidate peace partly because of fear and allegiance they have continued with bickering and ‘Fox Cries’, for peace overtures. These proxy positions have led to a new ‘pseudo-military’ alliance as a criminal enterprise causing a new dimension of raids: The ‘Commercial Raids’. These are done in well placed secret markets organized by criminal commercial marketeers and the loose alliances between the elusive compassionate raiders with loose under world networks whose thin threads of trust are very difficult to cut. A typical ‘Ndrangheta type association with a tough coterie.
Hence how can we offer insights into the structural security layer: open up Karamoja to capital goods, open up trade through improved security roads, decommission arms beyond use, livelihood improvement through sustainable technologies, multi-layered vigilance: including bringing into the fold aloof leaders inclined to building criminal alliances and sustaining peace through mindset change
Government has done its part but the leaders must show the lead. Development comes with peace otherwise we can hire land in Mogadishu for planting bananas.
Who should be the greatest asset for mindset change? Let’s look at one of the greatest culprits of raids and who often, too, turn out to be the biggest victims, the women: they eulogize greatness, fearlessness and associate great warriors with folklore: where does ‘milk come from’. Let’s devolve our mindset to the ‘Karachuna’ and the elders who ‘bless’, them for this enterprise.
Lastly, to consolidate this peace lets avoid raising false flags of insecurity. Bring back the Civil-Military Liaison which greatly succeeded in the first disarmament, let people feel the goodwill of peace and severely curtail the perpetrators. Further bringing in of tribal Militia: Amuca, Arrow Boys etc. to fight cattle raids from neighboring communities will evoke collective consciousness and hence common identity.
This will further a common fighting unit based on loose criminal alliances risking a low-grade insurgence to full blown tribal conflict.
The complex cultural character of raids particularly in Karamoja is more than a cross-border and intergovernmental one as it affects societies at the deepest level of identity.
Dr. James Elima, Director, Gulu Regional Referral Hospital. Has lived in Karamoja for the last 25 years.
