Karamojong cattle raids: Looted animals traced to Agago local restaurants

The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) have arrested four people who disguised themselves as Karamojong cattle rustlers to steal cows and goats in the Acholi and Lango sub-regions.

The suspects were found in possession of stolen goats from Parabongo sub-county in Agago District on Thursday, July 13, 2023.

According to UPDF, collaborators and criminal gangs have turned the raids to be commercial where they skin and sell the meat quickly to local restaurants, making it difficult for security to track them.

Maj Stephen Tumwesigye, the UPDF 5th Division spokesperson, confirmed that two women who run local restaurants and two members of a criminal gang were arrested after they were tracked using the intelligence network.

“We work together with Gombolola Internal Security Officers (GISOs) together with LC1 leaders. So, these people were tracked and arrested by the locals on Thursday night with five stolen goats, before handing them in to UPDF,” he told the Monitor on Saturday.

He identified the suspects as Denis Odongo, 24, Sharon Abalo, 28, Anna Ajok, and Okwee. While one Okia is still on the run.

Maj Tumwesigye said the two female suspects were taken to Kalongo Police Station for questioning and possible prosecution, while the male suspects were still in the hands of the UPDF but will later be handed to police for further management.

“We have been fighting so much to scale down the issues of raids but now there is a new trend coming up that the locals are the ones disguising themselves as Karamojong warriors. Out of every 10 raids, it is only two which would be perpetrated by real Karamojong warriors but the eight are perpetrated by the local people,” he said.

Ms Abalo, who operates a bar in Parabongo Trading Centre, confessed that she has been buying stolen goats and cows.

“After buying, I slaughter the animals and sell the meat to my clients in the form of muchomo in the evening and also serve some in my restaurant,” she said.

Ms Ajok, a tailor, also confessed that she had been buying stolen cows and would keep and resell them to other people from outside Agago.

However, as pressure mounts on the government to end the massive bloody cattle raids, UPDF leadership warned that collaborators and local criminal gangs will be dealt with like cattle raiders.

The Parabongo LC3 chairperson, Mr Stephen Ochan, said it was a big shame to the people of Agago and Parabongo in particular that they are the ones stealing from themselves under the disguise of Karamojong warriors.

"Don't have any mercy on them. Let them reap from what they sowed," he said.

At least 45 people have been killed and 350 others injured in a span of 18 months by suspected cattle rustlers in Agago District, according to official data. Eighteen grass-thatched houses were set ablaze from January 2022 to June 3, 2023. During the same period, 3,844 goats and 1, 851 cattle were stolen.