Find lasting solution to insecurity in Karamoja

This week, three geologists and two soldiers of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), were gunned down in cold blood by suspected cattle rustlers in Karamoja Sub-region.

The group including a Makerere University student, met their death while on a mission to carry out minerals survey in the area.

The geologists were deployed in 16 groups and scattered all over the region.

Following the ambush and the eventual killing of the five people, the commander of Land Forces, Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has promised to take hell to Karamoja and hunt down those behind the killings.

It’s alleged that the rustlers were infuriated by the presence of the geologists in their area and thought they were on a mission to grab their precious minerals, which Karamoja is rich in.

The rustlers despite being told by a local interpreter, that the geologists were merely carrying a minerals survey, shot them dead in cold blood.

We agree with Lt Gen Muhoozi that ferocious acts of the rustlers and thugs have no place in a democratic modern Uganda.

If they had suspected that the geologists had bad motives in their area, they should have reported them to the nearest police station or any other lawful authorities for investigations. Unfortunately, this is only one of a number of incidents of killings in the region.

 In the recent past, government carried out a disarmament exercise in the area to get rid of all illegal guns in Karamoja unfortunately, from this incident and other killings, it is quite obvious there are still illegal guns in the area. It’s alleged that the guns could have been home made. Government should get to the bottom of this because the existence of the illegal guns in Karamoja will continue to pose a big danger in the area and will resurrect and accelerate insecurity in Karamoja and neighbouring areas.

Government should also work with local leaders to establish and understand any unresolved triggers to this and other forms of violence in the area that are feeding the state of lawlessness. With help from local leaders, it will be easier to weed out the wrong elements and comprehensively understand how to restore peace and a sense of security. This way, a lasting and non-violent solution could easily be reached.

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