DanChurchAid
Uganda
Illicit arms in Karamoja
By David Mafabi, journalist, the Daily Monitor, Uganda
Karamoja Agro-pastoral programme [KADP] manager, Mr. Michael Kuskus says hopes of getting rid of all the illicit arms in Karamoja by the UPDF in bid to ensure total peace for development of the region have been dashed by constant inflow of arms from these neighbouring countries.
Kuskus says that UPDF disarmament exercise can only yield results if the government took steps to stop arms trafficking and transaction in Karamoja involving the neighbours.
"Whereas as leaders we are interested in seeing the UPDF disarmament exercise yield results, the hopes for the exercise are being dashed by the constant inflow of arms from our neighbours Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Ethiopia," said Kuskus.
Kuskus who is also heading cross border peace negotiations to see peaceful co-existence with other tribes in Kenya neighbouring Karamoja was 12 July speaking to Daily Monitor about the security situation in Karamoja region in Moroto.
Pokot County MP, Mr. Simon Kiyonga says in as long as Karimojong warriors and their counterparts in Kenya the Pokot and the Turkana continue carrying out armed cattle raids across the borders, the disarmament exercise will not yield expected results.
Kiyonga says some warriors are resisting to surrender their guns to UPDF because they have fear that when they surrender the guns, they will be vulnerable to the Karimojong hardcore criminals who come to raid and go to hide in Kenya and armed Turkana and Pokot of Kenya.
The Vice chairman LCV for Moroto Ms Rose Adero said at times Karimojong warriors carry out armed animal raids and cross with their guns and their cattle into Kenya to take refuge and that when crossing back to Uganda, they come back more heavily armed than they went.
The local leadership now wants the African Union and the East African Community involved in the on going disarmament exercise in the region in bid to get rid of the illegal trafficking and transaction in illicit guns for development of the region.
Kuskus says that because the biggest arms flow from Somalia, Ethiopia and Sudan through Kenya to Uganda, it is important for the government of Uganda to involve the AU and EAC in order to solve the problem for all.
He revealed that while disarmament is taking place in Karamoja region, the UPDF should also deploy a force to monitor all cross border points with the assistance of Kenya government to ensure that armed warriors do not cross to take refuge and get rearmed.
The 3rd division commander, Col. Patrick Kankiriho however says that because Karimajong tribes raid and kill each other the problem of Karamoja is in Karamoja itself not anywhere else.
He termed fears that the Karimojong would be vulnerable to other tribes when they surrender the guns as a lame excuse cooked up by the leaders in order to remain with the guns for their selfish missions.
"The UPDF has a force equipped enough to handle any situation in Karamoja to ensure there is peace for the development of the region and no other fears should be brought in to justify possession of the guns," said Kankiriho.
Kankiriho said that whereas in other regions of the country the people follow their leaders, in Karamoja region the leaders follow their people by supporting them whenever there is an armed raid that leads to a clash with UPDF.
He said that until the leaders come out to condemn the armed cattle raids and desist from using the warriors for the same, the disarmament exercise might take long and the development of Karamoja too.
DanChurchaid and the Humanitarian Aid Department of the European Commission are funding a drought preparedness program in the districts of Moroto and Nakapiripirit, which is helping the Karimojongs in developing their traditional way of living as agro-pastoralists. DanChurchAid has invited two journalists from the leading Ugandan newspapers, The Daily Monitor and The New Vision, to see the work of the local partner KADP.
DanChurchAid has a Framework Partnership Agreement with ECHO enabling DanChurchAid to implement ECHO funded projects worldwide in a broad range of sectors including water and sanitation, food aid, shelter, non-food item to humanitarian mine action. Visit website: ECHO
