Kenya, Uganda differ on children shot in raid
Army and police officers display the guns recovered during the operation in Moroto District last week. PHOTO | COURTESY | UPDF
What you need to know:
- A combined UPDF-police force last weekend conducted what they called an intelligence-led operation targeting Turkana pastoralists, who had crossed to Moroto District armed, resulting in the shooting of five teenagers and their grandmother. A seventh victim who died was not named.
Uganda and Kenya have offered conflicting accounts on the fate of five children and a grandmother reportedly shot during a cordon-and-search operation by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and police in Moroto District.
Whereas leaders of Turkana County said they evacuated the victims for treatment at Lodwar Referral Hospital in Kenya, a senior Uganda military officer, who oversaw the operation, said the sextet is being treated at Moroto Regional Referral Hospital.
The individuals, aged between 12 and 48, were injured during an April 8 crackdown on suspected holders of illegal guns in Lokereyot Village, Moroto District.
Ugandan security agencies said the casualties sustained injuries during a “crossfire” with armed Turkana nomads during which one person died and 31 guns with 725 bullets were recovered.
Leaders say
The Lotisan Sub-county chairperson, Mr John Adupa, said Turkana County leaders evacuated the children shot in the Sunday early morning operation by ambulance to Kenya for better medical care on Wednesday.
A combined UPDF-police force last weekend conducted what they called an intelligence-led operation targeting Turkana pastoralists, who had crossed to Moroto District armed, resulting in the shooting of five teenagers and their grandmother. A seventh victim who died was not named.
Mr Geoffrey Apedor, the director of Peace Building and Conflict Management in the Turkana County government, identified the injured as Erot Aleper, 13; Ethekon Etabo, 12; Longole Lokwang, 15; Athekon Epeot, 13; and Lochuro Lokoor, 12, and their 48-year-old grandmother Erot Muya.
“It is true [that] I led the delegation of officials from the Turkana government from Kenya, and we managed to evacuate those minors who were caught up in that scenario,” he said, adding that bullets shattered the leg of one of the victims.
He showed this publication reports of X-ray examinations that he said were conducted on the casualties, showing bullet fragments lodged in bodies of some of the children.
The Turkana pastoralists in Kenya perennially shift to Karamoja during the dry season in search of pasture and water for their animals.
UPDF says
However, in an interview with this publication, Brig Joseph Balikuddembe, the commander of the UPDF 3rd Division based in Mbale, said they airlifted the injured individuals to Moroto Regional Referral Hospital, contrary to the claim that Kenyan authorities took them to Lodwar Referral Hospital.
“All I can tell you [is that] they are being handled and treated by our Ugandan doctors at Moroto Hospital,” he said. We could not independently verify the conflicting accounts.
The one-star general, citing resolutions by multiple stakeholders’ peace meetings, said Uganda and Kenya agreed that pastoralists can crisscross borders for pasture and water during periods of water and vegetation distress, but without guns.
The raid last week, he added, was prompted by intelligence leads that illegal arms had been brought into the country and were likely to be used in cattle rustling and killings.
