The elders have designed a six-month plan to traverse the region, during which they will establish peace committees in each clan, rally youth to embrace peace, discourage raids, and ultimately collect and bury guns from each clan as a symbolic end to violence.
The leaders expressed concerns over the increasing cases of gun violence targeting especially the political leaders. They said that the remaining few illegal arms in the hands of warriors have started causing instability in the region, with political leaders becoming a target.
Despite interventions by both government and development partners, the parents have paid deaf ears to resort to keeping children in the kraals to look after the livestock instead of taking them to school. Children especially boys are taken to the kraals as young as six years old and spend their entire lives until their youthful stage then they return home for marriage while the warriors recruit others into cattle rustling.
The reformed warriors, also known as Karachunas, began their mobilization in 2023 after voluntarily surrendering their guns to the government and embracing peace. They later established SACCO groups across all nine districts in the Karamoja sub-region under the Micro Finance Support Center.
This is the last batch of the consignment to be distributed to the Karamojong reformed warriors who missed out on the first phase. The distribution exercise started on Wednesday in the Napak district before it was rolled out to other districts.
The team from the office of the prime minister started delivering iron sheets to the districts in south Karamoja. The districts such as Napak received 1,352 pieces, Amudat received 962, Moroto received 1066, and Nakapiripirit received 780.
Simon Peter Nangiro, the Chairperson of the Karamoja Elders Association said that they are associating to form a common institution of culture that can address issues in the region.
During the launch of the Karamoja Infrastructure Development Program II, the Italian ambassador to Uganda, H.E Mauro Massoni announced that the Italian development corporation, in partnership with the UNDP, Makerere University, the Ministry of Tourism, and the Italian University, is working on the new project to promote tourism in the Karamoja sub-region.
Whereas the health ministry recommends that each sub-county should have a Health Centre III staffed with 18 medical personnel, at least 22 sub-counties across Karamoja lack health facilities, forcing residents to walk long journeys to access basic medical services.
The leaders have demanded that the convicts be properly screened and taken to the counselling Centre for ideological and mindset training before integrating them into the community.
Peter Lokeris, the Minister for Karamoja Affairs lauded the security forces for reclaiming back the glory of Karamoja after a long time of instability.
Last week, the seventy reformed warriors drawn from different districts within Karamoja were taken for a study tour where they visited experienced farmers in the districts of Kibale and Mubende. This was part of the effort to change their mindset practically and introduce them to agribusiness.
Several peace dialogues have been conducted to strengthen their peace mission but little is being realized. Now the senior leaders from both sides have reaffirmed their commitment to consolidating security gains and fostering sustainable peace, unity, and socio-economic transformation between the two warring communities.
Francis Chemusto, the Commandant Anti Stock Theft Unit said that the delayed reporting of livestock theft to the security forces hampers their recovery efforts.
The Karamoja region, which has historically struggled with food scarcity due to harsh weather conditions, experienced a bountiful harvest this season of crops like sorghum, maize, and sunflower. However, the joy over this harvest is now tempered by growing worries.
The annual festival is celebrated rotationally in the different districts within Karamoja. It brings together the elders, youth, women, and local leaders to discuss how to promote culture, peacebuilding, development, showcasing different talents, traditional food, dress code, and among others.
Aleper who was also National Resistance Movement Central Executive Committee Member died in a fatal motor accident at Bukoona along Iganga-Tirinyi road in the wee hours of Tuesday morning while on his way to Kampala.
