By Brian Komakech
Gulu
Gulu Archdiocese Archbishop Dr. John Baptist Odama has criticized the continued cattle rustling in parts of the Acholi sub-region, and called for an end.
While delivering a sermon on Monday during the Christmas celebration at Holy Rosary Catholic Parish in Gulu City, Archbishop Odama noted there was no justification for people to fight and take another person’s life over animals.
“We are battling about cattle rustling this side. Is that fair? Why should we rustle over cattle? I thought cattle was for us all,” said Archbishop Odama.
Adding “Is there any tribe God said should be the one with priority of having cows? No. God made it for us all. We shouldn’t be killing ourselves over animals.”
Although he didn’t mention the perpetrators behind the cattle rustling, the Acholi Sub-region has for years experienced spates of cattle raids by armed warriors from the neighboring Karamoja Sub-region and the war-torn South Sudan.
The warriors, suspected to be the Jie tribesmen from Kotido district, and the Lango tribesmen in South Sudan’s Ikotos County, have been targeting cattle-keeping communities in the border districts of Agago, Kitgum, and Lamwo.
Archbishop Odama, however, advised that it would be more meaningful if the cattle were used for more productive ventures that lift the socio-economic status of the people in the sub-region.
“We should be using the cattle for more productive things. We can use them for dowry among others,” he said.
He also used the Christmas celebration to call on all religious, political, and traditional leaders to advocate for peaceful coexistence.
“People of Gulu Archdiocese, you must set an example of people who live in peace and want change to be done justly.”
Thousands of livestock looted
Odama’s statement on cattle rustling comes at a time when leaders and community members in the Acholi Sub-region have been asking the government to put an end to the wanton cattle raids that have resulted in the looting of thousands of cattle, loss of lives, and severe injuries.
Statistics from local leaders in Agago District indicate at least 100 people were murdered by suspected Karimojong cattle rustlers between 2018 and 2023, and some 1,632 cattle and 2,685 goats looted from 11 sub-counties frequently targeted the attackers.
In Agago district, the most affected areas include the sub-counties of Omiya Pacwa, Adilang, Kuywee, Paimol, Parabongo, Lai Muto, and Lapono.
In contrast, in Kitgum district, cattle raids have been frequent in Namokora and Orom sub-counties. In the neighboring Lamwo district, cattle raids were registered in the sub-counties of Agoro and Madi-Opei, all near the volatile South Sudan border.
Reduction in raids
James Nabinson Kidega, the Agago Resident District Commissioner, told GNNA Tuesday that no major raids by the cattle rustlers were registered in the district in seven months.
Kidega attributed the decline in the influx of the rustlers to several security interventions like the heightened deployment of security personnel, intelligence network, change of security command structure, and arrest of collaborators.
For instance, Kidega cited that 19 local collaborators among them two officials from the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), were recently arrested for aiding cattle raids, adding that the suspects are facing prosecution in both the civilian and the Military court.
He also revealed that they have restricted only two routes for animal movement using the Namokora, Kitgum, Kampala route and Kapelebyong, Amuria via Soroti to Kampala, which has reduced illegal cattle movements.
Osborn Oceng, the Lamwo Resident District Commissioner, reiterated that raids by cattle rustlers from neighboring South Sudan have subsided for the past four months, thanks to heightened security surveillance.
Oceng noted that the rustlers usually intensify their raids during the festive season, but this year they didn’t register any incidents.
Demand for compensation
In August this year, leaders from the Acholi Sub-region in a meeting on matters affecting the Acholi Community held at Bomah Hotel in Gulu City called on the government to compensate victims of Karimojong cattle raids in the sub-region.
However, in September, Grace Freedom Kwiyocwiny, the State Minister for Northern Uganda Rehabilitation, noted that the compensation would cost the government about one trillion shillings.
According to Kwiyocwiny, the projected budget, if passed and assented to by the President, would cover losses registered because of the Karimojong raid from 2018 to April 2023.
