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BY GLADYS LAKAREBER
KOTIDO: Wednesday, August 10, 2022
The district leaders in Karamoja and neighbouring districts in Acholi, Lango and Teso have turned to the elders and women in an effort to end cattle rustling.
During a recent cross border dialogue organized by German Development Agency, GIZ at Kacheri sub county headquarters in Kotido district, the leaders persuaded elders to speak to their children to discourage raiding of cattle.
They also implored the women to deny food to their husbands who engage in cattle rustling as a way of compelling them to stop the act.
Nelson Elurogat Lakole, the LC5 chairman of Kumi district was one of those keen on harnessing the intervention of Karimojong women in peace building and pacifying Karamoja.
“You should deny them food in case you hear that your husbands are disturbing their neighbours by raiding cattle,” he pleaded.
He said the food crisis perplexing Karamoja is because the Karimojong are not able to interact and transact business freely with their neighbours due to mistrust created by rustlers.
He also asked the Karimojong elders to reduce the number of cattle they take as bride price, contenting that when they demand for many cows, it forces the youths to go and steal cattle from neighbours in order to be able to marry.
During the meeting which brought together leaders and people Acholi, Lango, Teso and Karamoja, the Karamoja participants in particular, stressed their desire to live in peace with their neighboring people for easy trade and improve the welfare of the people.
Mathew Lochan, a resident of Apakirowat in Kacheri Town council, said there are only few individuals who are raiding cattle and tarnishing the image of Karamoja.
He pledged to be one of the people to help identify armed warriors so as to apprehend and disarm them.
Lochan said the Acholi has been helping them for so long but some cattle raiding youth have spoiled the relationship.
Peter Lokinei, a resident of Natiir village in Kapeta sub-county, Kotido district blamed elders for not playing their roles of advising the youth on how to socialize with neighbors.
Mark Longoli, the LC3 chairman of Kacheri Town council revealed that he always receives phone calls from neighboring leaders about cattle being raided from them.
He condemned cattle rustling as an unfair way of removing the fruits of someone’s sweat after a long toil.
Longoli thanked the GIZ for organizing the meeting that allowed them to directly hear from community members and challenged the leaders to implement the agreed measures in order to bring peace among Karamoja and its neighbors.
William Komakech, the resident district commissioner of Kitgum, said neighbours are willing to share the little they have with the Karimojang if they abandon their bad habit of rustling cattle.
