AFTER
a decade (2009-2019) of relative peace and security in Karamoja, this beautiful
semi-arid North-Eastern part of Uganda is back to the past life of fear and hopelessness
created by the gun. It’s not easy to believe this, but that is it for now at
least, although it’s not yet too late!
Other
sources trace the same to the colonial trade times of Allidina Visram in the 1900s
when Abyssinian traders from Ethiopia penetrated into Karamoja with guns which
they used to kill Elephants and extract Ivory. It is believed that when the
population of Elephants reduced, the Abyssinian traders started dealing in guns
and so the people of Karamoja embraced the practice.
Since
then, just like it is in Turkana today, guns were openly sold and held by the
communities in Karamoja even in the presence of security service providers not until
some others started using it to commit grievous crimes that the restriction
came. Otherwise, these guns were also important for protection of livestock
which is the mainstay of the Karamojong.
The
decade long peace in Karamoja came through negotiations and good coordination
with local leaders; elders and the youth. Once convinced, the leaders in turn (especially
elders) restrained the Karacuna (youth)
from clinging to the practice of armed violence. Further resistance compelled
government to conduct a forceful disarmament exercise in the region from
2001-2002 and 2006-2011.
Today,
the region has fallen back to insecurity due to failure to maintain the disarmament
gains. A number of peace projects implemented in the region, were either poorly
designed to permanently address pertinent needs of the Karamojong, wrongly implemented,
or didn’t have strong sustainability mechanisms. Subsequent livelihood aspects equally
never transformed lives and so these people remained jostling for survival the
hard way.
The
disgruntlement started with few incidences when innocent travelers got killed
along roads within Karamoja. Then the thugs formed themselves into gangs that would
targeted livestock within towns and in their immediate neighborhood. Since most
of these attackers remained at large, they grew confident but also their act irritated
and inspired others to join in through revenge on, or amalgamating with the bad
boys respectively.
More
pressure on the Karamojong was exacerbated by the two years (2020-2021) of COVID-19
lockdown. There was also the invasion of locust that grounded planted crops thus,
worsening the situation. Families couldn’t put food on the table. Before we knew, a full raiding activity was
back and; killings, cattle theft have now become the order of the day again. These people
are simply looking for survival. I don’t think they simply wish to steal and
kill people.
A
number of commentators now argue that the UPDF has failed to address the
Karamoja problem, with some calling on the Government of Uganda (GoU) to distribute guns to neighboring
communities for self-protection. This suggestion
is the most dangerous as it will simply fuel more tribal/Ethinic clashes and
the Karamojong will equally find ground to run for more guns from South Sudan
and Northern Kenya. We don’t want to go back there because as it stands, the
situation hasn’t crossed the Rubicon. The UPDF is capable of restoring peace in
Karamoja in the short run by ensuring massive deployment both internally and
across borders to reduce on further proliferation of arms.
