KOTIDO – A group of elders who are work as chairpersons of Karamoja peace committees has asked the government to create a special border protection force to take charge of the porous border of Karamoja, Turkana and South Sudan.
The elders raised this concern on Friday, January 17, 2020, during a peace meeting held in Kotido district.
Mzee John Lokong, one of the chairpersons of peace committees of Lokitela ebu village in Kotido sub-county observed that creating a special force in UPDF to manage the porous borders of Karamoja and Turkana and South Sudan would help to get rid of cattle rustlers.
According to Mr. Lokongo, the cattle rustlers are taking as an advantage of the porous border to carry out massive raids and cross to Sudan and Kenya where they go and access guns.
“As peace committees, we have discovered that cattle rustlers and enjoying the absence of enough security along the borders for them to continue raiding cattle,” he said.
Mark Longole, a peace committee member of Rengen sub-county in Kotido district said establishing UPDF special force to mount operations along the border would end cattle rustling.
“I wish president Museveni could do the same the way he created Fisheries protection unity managed by UPDF and create Border protection force am sure we shall stop crying of insecurity and cattle rustling in Karamoja because these force will first disarm any pastoralists entering in Karamoja while armed like the Turkanas,” he said.
Resurrecting cattle rustling in Karamoja is threatening to take Karamoja back to the previous situation whereby the region was not accessible.
According to the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Kotido Mr. John Logiro from 15th of October 2019 Kotido has experience 35 raids and lost over 10,000 heads of cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats.
The effort to the get comment from UPDF 3rd division spokesperson Major Telesphar Turyamumanya were futile as he could not respond to our reported calls.
