Slain UPDF soldier buried
What you need to know:
Rest in peace. The army hailed the deceased as hardworking and promised to support his family.
Gulu.
A soldier who was killed last Friday when unknown gunmen attacked Uganda People’s Defence Forces army detach in Opit Trading Centre, Lakwana Sub-county in Gulu District, has been buried.
Alfonse Ojara, 56, was buried at his ancestral home in Lapainat west, in Koro Sub-county, Gulu District on Monday. In the scuffle, a five-year-old boy was shot dead and eight guns stolen from the armoury.
At the burial, his widow, Ms Molly Alaka Ojara, 43, narrated the last moments with her husband. “I was with my husband last Thursday evening, everything was fine, he went for his work at the armoury as I stayed back home as usual.”
Ms Ojara said at around 11pm, the deceased came back home and woke her up to go and trap white hunts.
“We caught white ants together until 1am when I went back home as my husband proceeded to the armoury,” she said.
She said an hour later, she overheard many people chanting within the detach, saying they were Acholi people who wanted change while requesting the soldiers to surrender before sporadic gunshots tore through the quiet of the night.
“From my understanding, they are not just bandits but a well-organised militia,” Ms Ojara said. She said after the gunmen left, she got concerned about her husband and decided to find out, only to find him dead.
“My hopes have been shattered now with the death of my husband, I have three children to look after and I don’t know how I will handle it,” she cried. “I am requesting the UPDF to help me out.”
The UPDF 4th Division headquarters representative, Maj Patrick Oket, said the slain soldier was hard working and promised UPDF support to the family.
Rebels ruled out
The Fourth Division spokesperson, Lt Hassan Ahmad Kato, refuted talk that the attack was work of a new rebel group in the sub-region. “Those behind the attacks are thugs, we are pursuing them and will bring them to justice. We urge the locals not to panic and instead be security cautious,” Lt Kato said. UPDF has since beefed up security at the raided detach and Opit Trading Centre.