Karamoja is a sub region that lies in the North and North-eastern part of Uganda, bordering Kenya, and South Sudan. This is a semi-arid region that practices pastoralism, a practice of moving with livestock from one place to another in search of pasture and water for livestock production.

Since 1970s, the Karimojong warriors have raided their neighbors (Teso, Lango, Acholi and Sebei sub-regions) and conducted internal raids among various local tribes in Karamoja, to grab cattle and kill their victims. They acquired guns when conflict arose during the overthrow of President Iddi Amin in the 1980s, as well from the porous borders of South Sudan, Somalia and Kenya. This escalated the raids that were previously minimal as they graduated from bows and arrows to using superior weapons, AK47s.

Despite the efforts by various governments to disarm the Karimojong warriors, the cattle raids and murders have escalated to alarming proportions. Families in the neighboring districts such as Kapelebyong and Katakwi have returned to life in the Internally Displaced Peoples camps (IDPs) for fear of their lives and loss of property. The recent abduction and gruesome murder of geologists from the Ministry of Minerals and Energy development has sent chills down the spines of social workers in Karamoja and its neighborhood.

A lot of allegations have been made against various groups aiding the conflict; Behavior of warriors who are culturally inclined to commit raids and murders, allegations of the "reluctance" of government authorities to stamp out cattle rustling, the unsustainable livelihood interventions in Karamoja that have left cattle rustling the best option for the warriors, as well as the emergence of “Traiders” - business people encouraging lawlessness to their benefit.

We call for an end to this menace NOW by requesting for various interventions to be taken by all relevant authorities interested in restoring peace in Karamoja and its neighbors, as well as promoting development in Uganda as a country!

Here is the detailed description of the conflict in Karamoja – Click here

 

Our Asks

On behalf of the people of Teso, Lango, Acholi and Sebei subregions, along with the troubled families in Karamoja subregion and the rest of the country (Uganda), we sign this petition to call for immediate action to be taken (by all stakeholders interested in promoting sustainable peace, human rights and livelihoods) towards ending cattle rustling and the menace caused by the Karimojong worriors. We humbly request that the following actions be taken immediately;

1.       Immediately secure the borders with Karamoja for all its neighbors – Teso, Lango, Acholi and Sebei sub-regions. This will cut off some of the entry and exit points for the warriors venturing in to this neighborhood to steal and kill. Security should also be beefed at the Kenya-Uganda, and the South Sudan-Uganda borders with Karamoja to stem cross-country raids.

2.       Industrialize Karamoja to provide alternatives for livelihoods. We call for an end to exploitation of Karamoja and moving of minerals out of Karamoja, but rather suggest that minerals be processed and traded within Karamoja to offer employment opportunities to the locals.

3.       Tag cattle in Karamoja and the neighborhood to trace livestock movements. This has been used in Kenya to implement the index-based livestock insurance programs, and we can borrow it in Uganda too for tracking livestock and improving livelihoods among the Karimojong.

4.       Recover all unmarked guns in Karamoja, peacefully or otherwise. Peaceful disarmament alongside the forceful approaches should be used in tandem until all the illegal guns are withdrawn. This should also include stamping out the guns for hire, allegedly offered by security personnel.

5.       Government should immediately negotiate with the Kenyan and South Sudan authorities to stop Gun flow in to Karamoja, and to jointly manage security at the borders. Inter-border raids should be stopped to addressed some of the Push factors promoting cattle raiding. 

6.       Increase funding to rehabilitation programs in Karamoja and the neighbors of Karamoja affected by this age-old conflict. Poverty is palpable in Karamoja, one of the push factors encouraging raids. But the same now applies to the neighbors whose livelihoods have bee striped naked over a prolonged period of cattle raiding and killings.

7.       Hold all security officers and leaders who've been aiding cattle rustling to account. If we have laws of our land, lets put them to use and make example of some of our leaders and security personnel promoting cattle theft, including those not doing their work as mandated by their job descriptions.

8.       Facilitate dialogues between cultural leaders of All the neighbors of Karamoja and those of Karamoja. Cattle raiding and warrior mentality has strong attachments to cultural inclinations. Perhaps it is time for the cultural leaders to seek to understand each other better and address some of the practices that are aiding cattle rustling.

9.   Compensate all the lives and property lost to the actions of the rustlers for the last 10 years. This is one way to rehabilitate families facing loss and to address the emotion wounds created over time.