Cattle rustlers kill 9 people in Karamoja

A least nine people have been killed by armed cattle rustlers in Karamoja Sub-region over the last two weeks, police said.

Karamoja regional police spokesperson Mr Micheal Longole told Daily Monitor that the victims were killed in an ambush staged by the warriors while others were killed during the raids by the same criminals on their victim’s cattle kraals.

"We have lost nine people across Karamoja region to the cattle rustlers but the situation is not as bad as it was before because the joint forces are on top of the situation,’’ he said in an interview, Sunday.

According to Mr Longole, two cattle rustlers were put out of action in different areas of the region during the previous week.

He further noted that ‘‘within two weeks, joint security operations recovered one SMG riffle- bringing the total to 98 guns and 1,049 rounds of ammunitions recovered since July 17 when the third phase of disarmament was launched.’’

Police records indicate that since the disarmament relaunch, 475 rustlers have been arrested and 256 of these convicted and sentenced to different prisons in Karamoja Region.

For the last two years, North Eastern Uganda has been faced with increasing cases of road ambushes, cattle rustling and related killings caused by cattle rustlers that have disrupted relative peace after successful disarmament from 2001-2008.

Amidst a recent heavy deployment of armed forces, rustlers have continued to cause havoc with deadly attacks.

Moroto Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Mr James Shalaku expressed concern over growing insecurity.

"No one wishes to move out of the district to monitor services because outside there the armed rustlers are roaming day and night,’’ he said.

Mr Shalaku appealed to local leaders to help government to convince the rustlers to hand over guns so that development oriented projects proceed.