Karamoja Residents Stage Protest In Uganda Over Killings, Burning Of Houses By Unknown Gunmen

An estimated 320 persons have been killed in a couple of months in Karamoja area of Uganda by unknown gunmen suspected to be armed cattle rustlers and men of the Uganda armed forces.

Women and men came out largely on Monday at the Abim District of Karamoja to demand an end to the killing of people and burning of houses by the suspected armed cattle rustlers.

Bobi Wine, one of the presidential candidates in the last election in Uganda in a message few minutes ago sympathized with the people of Karamoja and said: “We continue to stand with the people of Karamoja who are being raided and killed by unknown elements and their houses set on fire.

“These images are from Abim District where citizens are currently staging a protest against the terror being meted on them.

“The regime owes the country a convincing explanation about the situation in Karamoja, especially about reports that its soldiers are participating in the indiscriminate attacks on innocent civilians”

Reuters had earlier quoted and reported the military officials of the Uganda People’s Defence Force to have confirm 309 people dead in an eight-month-old operation against cattle rustling in a northeast region of the country, rich in minerals such as gold, limestone, and oil.

“THE UPDF, working with other sister security agencies will continue working together to completely pacify Karamoja and end all the criminality in the sub-region,” said the Uganda military.

Uganda based DailyNews had also reported that three soldiers and 3 energy geologists were ambushed and killed in Karamoja late last month.

“Security has recovered six bodies of three geologists working with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development and three UPDF soldiers, who had escorted the geologists”, the media stated in its report.

The six were said to have been killed in Lotisan Sub County, Moroto district by a joint group of Karimajong warriors and the soldier’s guns were also taken.

“Security in Karamoja has significantly deteriorated at the hands of armed cattle rustlers that have recently killed a number of people”, the media report reads.

Another resident of Karamoja described the situation in the area and said: “Lives continue to be lost in Karamoja every night.

“The residents are fed up and are standing up, the least we can do is to amplify their cries.

“Last night there was an attack in Kiru Town council and the residents have blocked the roads today morning.

“They need answers and an end to the massive loss of life and property in unexplainable ways”.

Few days ago, a local was killed in Karamoja and the community took the dead body to RDCs office in Kapelebyong.

“The pictures coming in from Karamoja Sub-region are most disheartening. Very many Ugandans are being murdered in cold blood. The efforts to end this nightmare have not been serious.

“The people of Karamoja have been asking very critical questions and getting very few answers from the authorities. In many instances, people within the region have accused security forces of shooting unarmed civilians, but there have been no attempt to investigate these allegations to conclusion.

“In the strongest terms possible, we condemn these massacres and demand that an end is put to these senseless killings. I call upon all of us to stand in solidarity with these brothers and sisters who live in extreme fear.

“I call upon the media to shine a light on what is happening in Karamoja. The people of Karamoja need to feel that the rest of the nation stands with them and that we all understand their pain and suffering”, Bobi Wine previous statement read.