Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) is participating in the implementation of the African Amnesty Campaign on voluntary surrender of illicitly held weapons by civilians in Karamoja sub-region.
The Africa Amnesty campaign in Karamoja sub-region which is running from 23rd-28th January 2022 is one of the practical Steps to silence the Guns in Africa. The main aim is to promote initiatives for voluntary surrender and collection of illicit weapons in civilian possession in the country in reciprocal to the AU “Silencing the Guns in Africa by 2030” Declaration.
Under the amnesty, those who surrender their illegally owned weapons/arms voluntarily, shall not be subjected to disclosure, humiliation, arrest or prosecution. The Project is intended to improve public safety by reducing the number of illegal firearms in the hands of Ugandan communities.
Speaking at the town hall workshop of stakeholders in Karamoja sub-region today 24th January 2022, at Strikers Hotel in Moroto district, the District Resident Commissioner, Shilaku James said that a number of lives on both sides of the warriors and law enforcement officers, have been lost and injured leaving behind widows and orphans. “The amnesty month is timely and we call upon the people to embrace the voluntary surrender of arms so that we can have a peaceful Karamoja.” Shilaku remarked.
The UPDF 3rd Division commander, Brig Gen Joseph Balikudembe observed that these illegal guns in Karamoja are used to kill, steal and terrorize Karamoja and the neighboring areas.
Gen Balikudembe, underscored UPDF’s commitment to mobilize the community, the forces and all leaders so that these guns are recovered from the warriors. He observed that 223 guns, 2732 ammunitions and 20342 animals were recovered in 2021.
“The alternative approach to voluntary surrender is forceful disarmament if Karamoja is to be pacified and there is hope that once we remove these guns from the Karimajongs, we shall have peace and development in this sub-region.” Gen Balikudembe remarked.
Col Bagamba, UPDF’s advisor on peace support missions observed that, liberation of the Karimajongs should be the liberation of the mind with an alternative means of survival not survival on the gun.
To add a mileage to its disarmament efforts in the region, UPDF is using art and music as one of the ways through which the karamajongs are being sensitized to embrace voluntary surrender of illicit arms.
RA/209281 Lance Corporal Nkwasiibwe Martin aka Mosquito-Lee, has composed a song “Usalama kwa wote” named after ?Usalama kwa wote’ UPDF disarmament operation in Karamoja meaning peace for all.
The Regional Police Commander, Chemusto Francis (SSP) observed that, the issues of Karamoja are going to be resolved by the karamajongs themselves with other stakeholders being a support system.
During the discussions on how best disarmament can be done, the secretary of the Karamoja elders association, Abul Paul recommended that sensitization campaigns should be taken to the kraals (villages), converted warriors need to be utilized in the mobilization, the youth need to be skilled, engaged in commercial agriculture among others so as to give them alternative livelihoods other than using the gun for survival.
The LC 3 Chair Person Lotisan Sub County Akiiki John Robert Adupa and Lomonyang Silvia from the Women Peace Forum Mogoth are both survivors of gun violence in Karamoja and can ably share the horrors of this vice.
Robert Adupa sustained a head short injury in 1996 when his father’s kraal was raided by the Jie warriors from Kotido District in which he lost four of his family members.
Further more, the killing of women by the raiders has increased in Karamoja. “In the last 2 weeks, we lost 4 women in Lotisan sub-country killed by Jie warriors; one of them left a child of 6 months and another left a child of 8 moths, a 20 year old girl and a mother of 4o years were also killed.”
Lomonyang Silvia has lost 2 of her brothers to Jie raiders further adding that the raiders shoot everyone including children and pregnant mothers.
“I appreciate UPDF’s disarmament exercise and I want all criminals arrested and persecuted,” Lomonyang commented.
The youth activists against gun violence; Emmanuel Hamala 25 and Birungi Chloe 18 urged the public to drop illegal guns and embrace peace. “We all love peace but we cannot have peace when arms are in wrong hands,” they noted.
The one – year 2021/2022 amnesty sensitization and awareness campaigns on illegal gun ownership and illicit flow of weapons, collection and destruction of illicit arms and light weapons/ammunitions will run as follows in the four (4) selected regions;
23rd-28th January 2022 in Karamoja sub-region (Moroto, Kotido)
6th-11th Feb 2022 in Northern (Gulu)
13th-18th February 2022 in Rwenzori (Kasese)
21-25th February 2022 in Kampala Metropolitan (Wakiso and Kampala) and 01st-29th February 2022, arms surrender and collection in all the four regions.
The Africa Amnesty campaign was launched in Uganda on 24th Nov 2021 at silver springs hotel in Bugolobi Kampala, and is being coordinated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in partnership with the United Nations Office on Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), African Union Commission (AUC) and the Regional Center on Small Arms (RECSA).
In attendance were; the Moroto Municipality Mayor, His worship Mohammed Ismail, Moroto Prisons Commander, Latif Mayamba (SP), Regional Internal Service Officer, Capt. Gilbert Winyi Amooti, cultural leaders, religious learders local government leaders, women representatives among others.
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