Gen. Aronda on 2011 polls, Karamoja  atrocities

The other sticking point is with all these guns and rustling, will elections in Karamoja be held in a free, fair and tranquil situation? I say yes.

Coming in of guns (from neighbouring countries) has been significantly checked like never before because of strategic re-structuring of Karamoja and its security architecture.

Qn: On that point, if, God forbid, Sudan erupts into violence before, during or after the January 9 2011 referendum, there’s a likelihood illegal guns will find their way into Uganda. Is there worry if trouble flares up in Sudan, there will be increased gun-trafficking here?

A: Khartoum knows the consequences of violence because they were at it before since their independence around 1962 (Sudan got independence in 1956 – Editor). They have been in one conflict after conflict. So I don’t think whether Khartoum will not seek for – in an event of disagreement - that they would rather go back to the table to negotiate some parts of the [2005] Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). That makes sense because they know where they are coming from on this matter of conflict. Southern Sudanese people have tasted freedom since they existed as a people and they will seriously guard that. If there’s a problem, they will apply diplomacy or negotiation and if the other ones (Khartoum officials) chose to go to war, I know southern Sudanese will go back and defend themselves like they did and forced them (President Omar Bashir’s National Congress Party government) into signing the CPA.

The worst case scenario is that what if all those things don’t work and war comes to pass, is it going to cause us any problems? It can only cause trade disruptions because our tomatoes, eggs and pineapples will not really go to Juba, which will be at war.  And our schools could lose some students because they will be back to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Sudan. But for guns coming in, Uganda will never - since 1986 – be a (Democratic Republic of) Congo or the Central African Republic (CAR) or southern Sudan.

It is not possible that you have spaces in Uganda that are ungoverned like in CAR and Garamba forests where Kony occupies territories and no government security authorities challenged him. If anyone strayed into our area, we would catch and disarm. Uganda is no safe haven for negative forces.

Q: Any last word on Karamoja?

A:  To the public I think Karamoja’s chances of participating in the Prosperity-for-All (PFA) are greater now than ever before and I call upon them to go out in their numbers to take advantage of this good environment. Those who are going to cultivate should go and do it like never before; those who are looking after livestock go and treat their livestock because there’s now pasture especially since they have accessed land that had been lost because of raids. Every district is reporting we have now accessed the land which had been lost due to the raids. It’s so in Abim and Kaabong districts and I am sure it is here in Kotido and more so in Nakapiripirit. So it’s production time. There are chances of catching up with the rest; accounting for the Shs20 million which the President wants as an annual income [for every family].

Now for the first time, Kaabong district has put up a small Council Hall. We used to meet in the hospital (boardroom). So I congratulated them.

The government is under-taking to construct a road from Kaabong to Southern Sudan. We will begin getting trade from Eastern Equatoria [State] directly unlike now when a trader from Eastern Equatoria has to first go to Juba and then come through Acholi or West Nile before reaching Karamoja.

You will find schools in Mbale and Kampala full of our friends from South Sudan. We have no issues between the Dodoth in Kaabong and their neighbours – the Dinka and the Toposa in southern Sudan and Kenya. The cross-border civil-military relations are well and local leaders, please, work towards improving team-building and demanding accountability.

Abim district has a problem, I think. Corruption is eating into this new district. One thing that’s going to be raised with these political leaders is really the issue of corruption; they can’t continue singing insecurity, insecurity endlessly.

Oh! Could I attend a meeting [in Kaabong] and we talk other things other than guns? Interesting! We are now discussing corruption. It’s not my business but it is encouraging that we can talk about those things which are delaying development.

Thank you very much, General.