Internal Affairs Ministry implicates locals for facilitating cattle rustling in Northern Uganda

By Francis Lubega

16^th Aug 2023

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has cited subversive acts of collaborators in facilitating continued cattle raids in Northern Uganda, along the Uganda – South Sudan borders.

This is contained in a report presented to Parliament by the State Minister for Internal Affairs, Gen. David Muhoozi in response to a matter of national importance raised by Lamwo County MP Dr Anthony Jalon Okullu Abuka on the deadly incursions by suspected armed South Sudanese on natives which resulted in insecurity and disrupted farming.

In the report, Gen. Muhoozi cited the theft of 17 head of cattle in Obura village in Madi-Opei Sub-County, Lamwo District on June 15, 2023, before the Uganda People’s Defense Forces – UPDF soldiers attached to Apiriti military detach pursued the gunmen and rescued the stolen livestock.

He adds that earlier on May 4, 2023, armed men from South Sudan aided by some local collaborators from the community raided Lagaya village in Waligo Sub-County and torched houses, looted essential commodities, and four bulls which have never been recovered.

A day after, in Kadomera village, Nyimur Sub-County, gunmen raided the area and looted 56 head of cattle before the army swiftly responded to the report, pursued the intruders, and recovered the stolen livestock towards the borderline but blamed the incidents on collaborators, some of whom have been tracked and arrested.

However, Muhoozi’s revelation of inadequate manpower of the army and police at the border posts of Ngomoromo, Agoro, and Madi-Opei sub-counties in Lamwo sparked rage from some Members of Parliament from the region among them Nancy Acora, the Lamwo District Woman Member of Parliament, Agago North MP John Amos Okot

During the Parliamentary sitting chaired by The Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa, Gen. Muhoozi acknowledged the MPs’ concerns and emphasized that several diplomatic engagements are being organized between the Uganda security forces and South Sudanese counterparts to restore sanity among border communities.