NUP youths threaten to protest over Karamoja killings

Opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) youths from the Karamoja sub region have issued government a two-week-ultimatum to address bloody killings and cattle rustling in the region lest they take to the streets.

The youths who gathered at the party’s headquarters in Kampala on Monday expressed their concern on the increasing insecurity which involves deadly domestic raids.

“The iron sheet scandal is not as urgent as the lives of people in Karamoja. Government should come up with a long-lasting solution to the insecurity in the region. The mass deployment seems to be ineffective,” Abim District youth chairperson Ernest Ayen said.

Ayen revealed that at least 10 people were registered dead in the district in one week.

“People have even become suspicious that the soldiers are behind the spate of killings and other illegalities because their presence has almost caused no change,” he said.

The NUP deputy president for Northern region, Lina Zedriga said that: "The death in Karamoja could be a regime trap to grab Karamajong's rich mineral land."

Maxcencier Adupa, a university student from Kabongo District urged government to address poverty saying that it is a major cause of insecurity.

“Many people continue to be killed in cattle raids not because they are thieves but they are left with no option, their cows were stolen too and they have no survival alternative,” Ms Adupa said.

The allegations come amidst a government led Karamoja pacification policy dubbed 'Usalama Kwa Wote.'

The operation aims at recovering illegal guns, stolen livestock, apprehend and prosecute armed cattle rustlers (warriors) as well as maintain security in the neighboring sub regions of Acholi, Bugisu, Lango, Sebei and Teso.

When contacted, the UPDF spokesperson Felix Kulayigye dismissed the NUP youth allegations saying they are unfounded assertions to belittle the commendable role played by the army in stabilising the region.

“It is with no doubt that the security in Karamoja has improved apart from some elements of insecurity in the south of Karamoja. It is regrettable that there are still some deaths registered in the region, but the number of deaths is very low because of the role played by the security forces,” he remarked.

“If 10 people died in Abim (District) in a period of one week, it shows that the military is doing work, otherwise those would die in a day,” he noted.