Leaders from Acholi and residents in Agago district have requested the government to open “security roads” to ease the movement of security when pursuing the Karamojong cattle rustlers.
The concerns were voiced on Monday, at Adilang Town Council, when Members of Parliament under Acholi Parliamentary Group-APG visited the district to assess the security situation amid increasing attacks by Karamojong warriors on the community.
There have been persistent attacks on locals by Karamojong cattle raiders in the sub-counties of Adilang, Laperebong, Lira Kato, Lapono, Paimol and Omiya Pachwa that are bordering Karamoja sub-region.
Santo Ongom, the LC 3 of Adilang Town Council said one of the reasons there are endless attacks on the locals is the poor road networks that would otherwise assist security in pursuing the raiders once they attack.
Ongom explained that there are no roads that connect to Kitgum and Kotido, which complicates the operations against the cattle raiders.
Ongom also appealed to the government to recruit local defense personnel from the area, saying the UPDF are not sufficient to end the atrocities being committed by the Karamojong.
Christine Aceng, a resident of Lumule, equally accused the UPDF of laxity in pursuing the Karamojong warriors and instead allegedly concentrating on having intimate relationships with young girls.
According to Aceng, the UPDF are also few, which is making the Karamojong waylay women on the way to their gardens.
She claimed that a many of the women have been raped, but they fear reporting.
Alex Ojara one of the locals who went to attend the meeting wondered why the NRM government has left them to suffer, yet they have always voted it back into power.
Tony Awany, the MP for Nwoya West Constituency noted that there are two security roads that were identified and recommended for opening in 2018, but work has not started, despite the fact that they were surveyed and costed by the government four years ago.
The roads in question are Corner Paimol – Labwor Dwong – Longor Dam – Kaceri, and the road connecting Kalongo-Pukor-Lumoi-Namukora-Lungor Trading Centre to Orom/Kaabong. Awany, said he has been in contact with officials of Uganda National Roads Authority to ensure that work on the two security roads is taken as a matter of urgency.
Mohamed Okwir, the LC 3 chairperson of Adilang Sub-County, appealed to the MPs to always follow up the issues immediately.
Okwir revealed that they have already reported the matter to all the MPs who in the past came to assess the situation, and all the current had to do is follow up on the matter, and inform the locals about way forward.
According to Okwir, at least five people have been killed and five have been injured in Adilang sub-county alone, with others still nursing injuries in various hospitals. Meanwhile, 147 cattle and 258 goats have been stolen and none has been recovered.
Last week, the LCV chairperson of Agago district, Leonard Ojok disclosed that the Karamojong have killed 14 people this year alone and injured 21 others, besides stealing 972 cows and 2,028 goats, with none so far recovered.
