Locals form groups to fight cattle rustlers

Residents in Agago District have formed groups to fight the increasing cases of cattle rustling in the area.
This comes after a group of residents of Kokil Village, Paimol Sub-county last week killed two suspected Karimojong cattlerustlers from neighbouring Karenga and Kotido districts.
The suspects reportedly raided Lubulu and Kokil villages in Tar and Pacabol parishes, stealing more than 26 head of cattle.
Authorities told Daily Monitor that the locals used bows and arrows to kill the rustlers.

Mr George William Kilama, the Paimol Sub-county chairperson, on Monday said: “We have resorted to forming local youth groups dubbed ‘arrow boys’ who patrol these villages, especially along the borderline with Karamoja and deploying armed LDU [Local Defence Unit] personnel to ensure the rustlers do not come here.”
Mr Kilama said the arrow boys in every village are headed by leaders at parish level.
At least 153 head of cattle have been stolen from Paimol Sub-county since December 2019, and only 32 cows have been recovered.

Mr Linos Ngompek, the Agago Resident District Commissioner, said they have beefed up security in Paimol, Lapono and Omia-pacwa.
“The situation has now normalised. We have UPDF and LDU deployed strategically along the borders, we also have the local men in these villages who coordinate with us,” Mr Ngompek said.

He added: “We have about eight detaches who help us to respond faster in case of attacks.”
Although government in 2001 widely conducted a disarmament exercise in Karamoja Sub-region, cattle raids in the neighbouring Teso, Lango and Acholi have continued.
A number of cattle raids have also been reported in Kitgum and Agago Districts.
Between 2018 and early January 2020, the rustlers resumed raids causing panic among the public, who had enjoyed peace for more than 10 years.
Mr Johnson Okello, the Alebtong District chairperson, said they have deployed UPDF and LDU personnel to deal with rustlers.
“They come through Abim District but for the past three months we have not had any incidence of theft of cattle,” Mr Okello said.

Abim worst-hit
Meanwhile, the situation in Abim is far from changing.
Mr Samuel Hashaka Mpimbaza, the Abim Resident District Commissioner, said they are attacked by Jie, Dodoth, Matheniko and Bokora warriors.
“These rustlers are now armed and they attack almost on a daily basis. Last Tuesday they killed two people here before taking 34 animals from them,” he revealed.
Mr Hashaka said cattle rustling is persistent as it is both lucrative and prestigious among Jie, Dodoth and Bokora communities.
Besides, he revealed that locals do not have kraals to hide their animals and leave them to roam.

“Like the notorious Jie warriors from Kotido District, they send armed youth to raid the animals and sell them to dealers at Shs200,000 per head,” Mr Hashaka said.
“Our people (who depend on animals) now live in fear since their productivity and livelihoodhave been severely compromised due to the frequent raids. We have LDUs and UPDF soldiers deployed but the raiders sneak and steal the animals.”
On Monday, the Otuke Resident District Commissioner, Mr Robert Abak, said after establishing grassroots structures in villages bordering Karamoja to coordinate intelligence with security, they have been able to fight rustlers.
Mr Abak said LDUs and UPDF soldiers back the structures.
“We last had a raid in March upon which we intensified patrols on our borderline and sensitisation of the local communities,” he said

Disarmament efforts
Maj Peter Mugisha, the UPDF 3rd division spokesman, said:“Right now we have heightened our disarmament operations. We have achieved a lot more, especially in Kaabong, Kotido and Moroto districts where we have recovered 145 guns from the public since January.”
He added: “Our target is peace in every community in this region and those neighbouring it. Just a few days ago, our soldiers in an operation encountered Turkana warriors in Kabong District and killed 11 of them, recovered two guns, 64 animals.”
Citing an example of four Dodoth warriors from Kotido who were killed during a clash with UPDF soldiers, Maj Mugisha said they aim to disarm those illegally armed.