Luo FM
Agago’s Changing Resettlement Patterns following Karimojong Warriors Attacks
20 October 2023, 6:40 pm
Nekolina seated beside a single hut at the trading center
“If we are really Ugandan, we have to be protected and given assurance of safety on survival. I beg if possible, soldiers should be added to help us because we nowadays live a life that you might not think of tomorrow because of the unaware attack by the Karimojong,” Okumu pleads with the security”.
Okumu victim Omiapacwa
By Susan Achola
The deepest anguish of any mother is experiencing torment ranging from physically seeing your daughter being raped, your husband incapacitated and your only grandchild killed, all committed by warriors.
This is the pain that Abwalo Catherine, 60 years old a resident of Kamurono village, Biwang parish, Lira Kato Sub County in Agago districti has struggled to cope with.
Abwalo believes that such grave suffering in the hands of the Jie rustlers is a curse to her because one cannot witness her 17-year-old daughter being raped by livestock rustlers’ moments after shooting her husband with a bow and arrow.
“My agony started when my husband Obol Makamoi, 70 was shot with a bow and arrow by the warrior while on his way to the garden in the morning. To date my husband is incapacitated and neither can he walk or work despite being the breadwinner of the family,” Abwalo narrates.
The same month with in which the incident occurred,Abwalo lost her only grandson only identified as Olyel who while grazing their animals was attacked by the warriors who fled with all their cows.
Her family pain was then absolute with the trauma of seeing the Karamojong rustlers rape her 20 years old daughter Irene Akello, and to date, her suitor declined to continue with their supposed marriage.
Charles Lawoko, 43, was killed in his garden at Nyerca Village, Kaket Parish in Lapono Sub County on Monday by Karimojong cattle rustlers who also raped two women in an Agago District following an attack in a sub county on June 12.
To date, over 160 locals have died in the hands of their neighbors-turned rebels who raids, loots, steal, rape, and carry out inhumanly events that destroys the social wellbeing of innocent human.
Traditionally in Acholi culture, at the an old woman at the age above 60 must have a family where her grandchildren enjoy the traditional folk songs, totem and stories each time they visit her.
This however isn’t the case for 63 years old Nekolina Acen, since she has been displaced from her home of 40years at Wigweng village, Lakwa parish, Lira-Kato sub county in Agago district.
Since November 2022, Nekoline has been squatting in a small grass thatched hut that was donated to her by a sympathetic distant relative at Omia-Pacwa trading center.
She speaks with so much pain as she narrates the ordeal on a fateful night of November 2022 when the Karimojong cattle rustlers attacked her home and set her three huts ablaze before raiding her 15 goats and 7 herds of cattle; a situation that has left her destitute and homeless to date.
Even after being given a hut all is not well since her foodstuff was burnt and all her gardens remained in the village, rendering her landless and subjected to rent gardens at the trading center for no less than 70,000 shillings annually, something she can’t afford.
Nekolina’s situation explains how most of the people in borderline sub counties in Agago district have been suffering from the continuous attack by the cattle rustlers. Most of these people were forced to flee their villages to seek refuge in trading centers in March 2023 after intensified attacks that led to loss of lives and properties.
Nekolina seated beside a single hut at the trading center
Background of the attack
The constant attack by the Karimojong began due to conflicts between boundaries especially for land and pasture for grazing their animals in the late 70s after the then President of Uganda Idi Amin gave them guns to repulse their Turukana counterparts of Kenya, who acquired modern weaponry from marauding Shifta bandits.
With their new fire power, the Karimojong embarked on raiding spree from their neighboring areas of Olilim (Lango) and Usuk (Teso), terrorizing them through the 1980s before extending their incursions into Acholi sub-region as well.
Despite, the numerous government efforts in curbing the escalating situations in the Karamoja that have been explored, but perennial attacks have continued to affect the social economical welfare of the bordering districts to Karamoja region.
According to the Cultural Survival organization, there has been such a continuous supply of guns that, by December 1995, the gun market had been saturated in Karamoja. By January 1996, the large supply, especially from southern Sudan, had caused a 50% drop in the price of AK47 assault rifles on the local black market in Karamoja.
Survivors’ Moments
Alfred Labeja, one of the survivors of the horrific incident of the 12th March 2023 from Lakwa village in Agago district recalls the year as the worst in his entire life after he left his home in Lakwa B village.
“I remember sending a short message (SMS) to my neighbor that the raiders had surrounded my house and there was a need to save my life and that of my family. The neighbors made an alarm that forced out the attackers,” he recalls.
Labeja adds that, his children ran away from home the next day for fear of losing their life, and this prompted him to leave too.
As one of the constantly attacked trading centers, Omia-Pacwa has been a refuge center for hundreds of people from different parishes in the sub-county. Most of the affected people had to commute daily from their villages to sleep at the center, later returning back home in the morning since the Karamojong mainly attacked late in the evening and at night.
The village chairperson of Kasisiro north (which is the trading center) Mr. George William Oola estimated that about 800 people were at the trading center by June of 2023 to July, 2023 when some people decided to go back to their villages following stability and reduction in the attacks by the rustlers, while others continued to commute to farm and come back to the center in the evening.
“While other people have since gone back to their villages some have chosen to remain at the center. Such are those who witness brutal acts on their family members such as killing, rape and burning their houses,” Mr. Oola adds.
According to him, they have opted to buy land at the trading center while others are renting houses, however, living in very difficult conditions.
First things first, that is their daily songs when it comes to ranking life and a place to live in. Saving their lives was all that mattered to them when they moved to the trading center instead of losing it. While there life wasn’t a ‘bed of roses’, life challenges ranging from lack of food, poor studies for the school going children, exposure to harmful behaviors, among others, Colline Amono of Tekato village says some young children especially boys became thieves while the girls got involved in early sexual practices for petty gifts.
She added that even when the office of the Prime Minister offered food stuff, consisting 15 tons of maize flour and 7.5 tons of beans to the affected communities in the borderline sub counties however most of the beneficiaries say the relief was so meager with some households getting only a cup of both beans and maize flour.
Similarly, in July, the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) distributed 1,200 pieces of iron sheets to 40 households affected by the raids in Lira Kato, Omiya Pachwa, Adilang Town Council, Wol sub-county, and Adilang Sub-County.
Meanwhile, a local only identified as Okumu while interacting with the media cried out to any well-wisher following a series of constant brutal murders of people by the Karimojong warriors who usually attack and loot properties from communities.
“If we are really Ugandan, we have to be protected and given assurance of safety on survival. I beg if possible, soldiers should be added to help us because we nowadays live a life that you might not think of tomorrow because of the unaware attack by the Karimojong,” Okumu pleads with the security.
Okumu on security help – Luo
Recently, the Karamojong cattle rustlers have changed their motive from cattle to food items, with a number of garden raids and crops stolen by them.
According to Mission Network News, the current famine in Karamoja, one of Uganda’s poorest regions, is one of the worst in recent years. Up to 75% of the Karamojong people are facing food insecurity. Drought plays a big part in food insecurity, but it’s worsened by supply chain issues and ongoing conflict.
This has forced the Karamojong to attack and steal food items from the neighboring districts of Agago, Lira, Kitgum, among others.
Homecoming ‘uncertain’
Following President Museveni’s meeting with the leaders of Acholi and Lango sub region on the 15thofMay 2023, there was a massive deployment of security organs especially in the affected areas which has reduced the frequency of the raids by the Karamojong warriors.
This prompted some of the people who had left their villages to return. However; they face uncertainty of sustaining the ‘temporary’ peace created especially for the returnees.
Ms Colline Amono, 38 returned to Tekato village in July after facing several challenges at the center, she hoped to be early so that she can plant during the second season, but to her dismay, the drought that has ran for 2 months has dwindled her hope of beating hunger by planting some vegetables.
As a mother, she has to move to the nearby bush in search of wild fruits to feed her children. On other days her husband would walk to the center which is 8 kilometers to do casual work at building sites to supplement their family income.
This was a beginning of the resettlement process by the returnees from the erected camps following the recent attacks on the locals by the Karimojong warriors.
Leader’s perspectives
Mr Oola George William, the Village chairperson of Kaciciro North, Lojim parish in Omiya-pacwa sub-county, Agago district says they are in Lira-kato due to the brutal murder and constant attacks by the Karimojong warriors.
“We have been facing difficulties in this place since February 2023. The attack has brought famine, traumatic disorders among people affected, education is at an alarming level and health services are not enough for the population due to shortages of drugs,” Oola asserted.
Oola on Karimojong attack – Luo
This has been the worst year in the history of cattle raids according to Mr Ojok Kite Okidi, the chairperson of the Association of all the chairpersons of Borderline sub counties to Karamoja sub-region, especially the exodus of the people struggling for safety of their lives
“It’s true; the atrocities done by the Karimojong warriors are gruesome. As a result of these atrocities, locals from Lira-kato, Adilang, Laimutu, and Omiyapacwa sub-counties, among others, resorted to go to camp life leaving their home lands and villages for safety,” Ojok explained.
He said the atrocities committed included; killing, burning of houses, rape, sever injuries to body, among others. The locals are living in public places such as schools, where in Lira-kato sub-county; they preferred Lira-Kato primary school. These movements were majorly done in February to April, 2023 after the killing of locals in three different places, causing fear among the people.
Ojok on atrocities – Luo
The return of locals to their homes was as a result of the sensitization of the public by the leaders on the situation. He thanked the government for their different interventions in curbing the situation after the visit of the first son, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugabawho pledged support for additional forces and donation of herds of cattle to some few of the affected families.
According to Ojok, Gen Muhoozi brought 274 herds of cattle for the locals. He appreciated the first son for his intervention over the issue.
The chairperson however, faulted the government over their failure to implement the communities demand about the recruitment of the Local Defense Unit (LDU) from each parishes (15), saying that the pledged was made by the president of Uganda H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa, coupled by many including food reliefs which was not enough for the affected families.
Ojok reported that among the relief brought included; iron sheets supplies, where in Lira-kato sub-county, a total of 18 people got, though not all the affected people because only 5 sub-counties benefited; and these included; Lira-kato, Omiya, Kuywe, Adilang town council, and Adilang sub-county out of the 15 sub-counties affected. This was due to the little time frame given for data collection.
“Following the president’s pledge of giving each sub-county with 18 police officers, nothing was done to date which is very frustrating,” Ojok asserts.
According to the chairperson of Lira-kato sub-county, a total of 491 cattle, 3,257 goats, 12 donkeys have been stolen by the warriors, coupled with 47 deaths, 43 body injuries, and 32 houses burned. He added that a total of 6,440,600 shillings have been taken, too, by the warriors in Lira-kato sub-county only.
Statistics compiled by other local leaders from Paimol, Omiyapacwa, Lapono, Lira Kato, Kapelebyong, Adilang and Wol sub-counties and Adilang Town Council also shows that between January 2022 to June 3, 2023, 3,844 goats and 1, 851 cattle were stolen.
According to Agago district chairperson, Mr Leonard Ojok Opio, the major Karimojong clan of Jjie is the one terrorizing the locals not with intention to steal, but with intention to kill. He alleges that the Jjie kidnapped many people from the region to cause mayhem among the locals.
“I don’t blame all the Karimojong as a whole, I do blame the Jjie as part of the warriors whose intentions remain to kill and cause pain among the community. These Jjie warriors have planned to kill and carry out atrocities in the society,” Ojok explained.
Major Otim Mwaka, a delegation of 5th Achol-pii army commander in Agago and Pader districts while addressing mourners during the burial of two victims of the Karimojong warrior’s attacks noted that the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) are remorseful and not supporting the tragedies as lives are lost.
While reading a condolence message from the division infantry, dated 19th June 2023, the UPDF stated that, “They condemn the attack on the civilians by the warriors. The message assured protection to the locals in the regions affected by the warriors, and pledged to work together with the local leaders.”
Earlier in May, the UPDF acknowledged their plight and said that they are remorseful through their spokesperson, Capt. Amos Nsambu, the UPDF 5th Division Public Relations officer after shooting dead a 17-year-old Josephine Adoch, a student of Amyel Lapono Seed Secondary School in Lira Kato Sub County, Agago district.
In May, President Yoweri Museveni, while meeting Acholi and Lango leaders to assess and find solutions to the Karamojong raids in Baralegi State Lodge in Otuke District, promised that families who lost their relatives will each receive 5 million Shillings as condolence.
Grace Freedom Kwiyocwiny, the State Minister for Northern Uganda says she has sent a projected budget of one trillion Shillings to the President.
According to Kwiyocwiny, the money will cover lost lives, injuries, looted and unrecovered animals, and iron sheets for houses torched.
The estimated budget, if effected, will cover the losses from 2018 to April 2023, but adds that the data will be updated because more raids have been committed after April.
In order to improve access and easy follow-up of stolen animals, leaders in Kitgum and Agago have proposed that road networks be improved in Agago and Kitgum districts.
The Karamojong or Karimojong are a Nilotic ethnic group. They are agro-pastoral herders living mainly in the north-east of Uganda. Their language is also known as ngaKarimojong and is part of the Nilotic language family. Their population is estimated at 475,000 people.
To date, the lives of the people in Agago district along the borderlines remains at a ‘turning point’ where at any time, the Karimojong warriors can launch their attacks despite the deployment of the army forces.
This story was supported by American Jewish Word Service through Northern Uganda Media Club- NUMEC