Jie cattle keepers seeking access to water and pasture in neighbouring Acholi districts have been asked to first repent for past atrocities and cattle raids blamed on some members of the community as part of efforts to open a new chapter of peace.
The call was made by UPDF 405 Brigade Commander Col Ruzira Nuwagaba during a meeting between leaders and security officials from Kotido and Agago at Longor Dam. Jie leaders attended the meeting seeking permission for their livestock to access water and pasture in neighbouring areas as drought continues to put pressure on grazing resources in Kotido.
Nuwagaba said the movement of livestock into Agago, Kitgum, Pader and other neighbouring districts could only be sustained if communities addressed the history of cattle rustling and violence. “So, the time has come to repent. I’m not a Reverend, nor am I a Bishop, but my request is: you must repent, and we start a new chapter,” Nuwagaba said.
He acknowledged the importance of water and pasture to livestock keepers but warned that uncontrolled movement into neighbouring communities could reopen old conflicts. “Before you come in to ask for water, make sure you repent. What happened behind should not happen again,” he said.
Nuwagaba, however, cautioned communities against taking the law into their own hands, urging residents to identify suspected criminals and report them to security agencies. “We know criminals are there in society. Please identify them. I have the capacity to arrest them. I don’t support killing because Uganda has the Constitution, and the laws which are governing the country are clear,” he said.
He said security forces would be deployed to help maintain peace and monitor livestock movements as arrangements are made for access to water and grazing areas. Nuwagaba said future arrangements would be organised at parish level rather than sub-county level to make it easier for security agencies to identify individuals involved in criminal activities.
He said the majority of people in Karamoja now want peace and should not be held back by a small number of suspected criminals. “The majority of the people of Karamoja, they want peace. Ninety-nine percent, they want peace. There is this one percent who are still some criminals,” he said.
The call for reconciliation was supported by Jie County MP Gabriel Achia Lukiru, who said communities affected by cattle rustling needed to begin a healing process. Lukiru said water and pasture shortages remained a major challenge for livestock-dependent communities in Karamoja, but warned that competition for resources should not trigger renewed violence.
“We have come to start a healing process. We have come from a background where we have had issues caused by my brothers. Now, this is the time that healing should start,” Lukiru said. Lukiru, who said he travelled from Kampala to attend the meeting, apologised to neighbouring communities for atrocities allegedly committed by some Jie members and called for cooperation in sustaining peace.
“Forgive us for the atrocities our brothers have committed,” Lukiru said. He proposed the establishment of committees to oversee livestock movements to water points and grazing areas, saying early management of resource-related disputes could help prevent them from escalating into cattle theft and violence.
Lukiru also called for improved road connectivity between Jie and Agago to strengthen interaction between communities and assist security agencies in monitoring criminal activity. “If there was a road coming from Jie via Kacheri and straight to Agago, they would be able to trace the thieves,” he said. Kotido Municipality Mayor Abrahams Peter Irar said prolonged drought had increased pressure on water and pasture and made access to neighbouring districts increasingly important for livestock keepers.
Irar said Kotido was extremely dry and appealed to Agago leaders to allow Jie livestock to access water and pasture under agreed security arrangements. He proposed establishing a security post near Longor Dam to monitor livestock movements and prevent criminals from exploiting the opening to neighbouring areas.
The meeting is part of continuing efforts by leaders and security officials from Kotido and Agago to strengthen peace and regulate access to shared water and pasture resources following years of cattle-rustling-related insecurity-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
