UPDF arrests reformed cattle rustlers, even after giving them amnesty

The arrests run counter to a government call to Karamojong warriors to voluntarily hand over illegal firearms in order to be amnestied and benefit from government rehabilitation programs.

Still, security forces say the arrests are valid as some of the arrested persons are suspected homicidal killers who use amnesty as a convenient cover to commit more crimes.

Brig Gen Joseph Balikudembe, the UPDF 3rd Division Commander and currently the overall commander of armed forces facing off with cattle rustlers in Karamoja sub-region, said that such suspects who surrender their firearms have a large following of cattle raiders and freeing them is counterintuitive.

He added that several raiders who surrendered guns to the security forces have been re-arrested with even more guns, despite possessing amnesty certificates.

One of the suspects identified as Achucu, he adds, surrendered his two guns and was amnestied. As part of his deal with government, he was brought on to work with security to lure his colleagues out of the bush. However, he ended up being re-arrested for being in possession of four more guns.

‘’…When we forgave him he thought the game was over, so finally, we trapped him and he is in the prison serving ten years,’’ Balikuddembe said.

All in all, he notes, a number of warriors have been carrying out deadly attacks so they can surrender their guns and stay free as their clemency allows them to continue committing crimes.

Balikudembe says such persons have handed over guns so as to continue their criminality and thus should be interrogated properly before they are awarded amnesty certificates.

However, the Kotido Resident District Commissioner, Ambrose Onoria, says that detaining suspects who voluntarily hand over their guns will frustrate the effort to recover firearms being held by criminal elements still at large.