Otuke- Security officials have dismissed claims by residents of Olilim in Otuke District that a group of armed Karimojong cattle rustlers attacked the sub-county and killed two people on Wednesday.
Residents had claimed that a group of Karimojong cattle rustlers caused havoc at Got Ojwang in Olilim Sub-county as they reportedly attempted to rustle animals.
However, the head of the district security committee, Mr Robert Abak, who is also the Resident District Commissioner, said the alleged attack was just a rumour. He warned those spreading the rumour to desist or face arrest.
“I cannot accept such nonsense,” Mr Abak warned, adding that security forces had been deployed heavily at the Otuke-Abim border to protect residents against attacks from Karimojong cattle rustlers.
The RDC said they were aware of plans by some wrong elements to steal animals in Otuke and blame it on Karimojong. “We know them, they are thieves,” he told Daily Monitor on Wednesday, adding that security forces are more than prepared to deal with them.
He urged the people to be calm, adding that the government is committed to stamping out the problem of cattle rustling by Karimojong warriors in Lango, Teso, Acholi and Karamoja sub-regions.
Background
In 2006, a group of armed Karimojong cattle rustlers killed one person following an attack at Ikwe village in Olilim Sub-county.
At around that same time, another group of armed Karimojong warriors attacked Aloi Sub-county in the present Alebtong District. Nobody was killed but the warriors reportedly took more than 30 head of cattle.
Cattle rustling
Cattle rustling was prevalent in the districts of Moroto, Kotido, Nakapiripirit, Napak, Kaabong, Amudat, Nabilatuk and Abim.
This was mainly because most pastoralists and marauding karachunas (youth) were illegally armed. This facilitated deadly inter-ethnic and cross border raids.
The government launched a disarmament programme in 2004 which was aimed at removal of more than 40,000 illegal guns and restore law and order.
editorial@ug.nationmedia.com
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