The booming business in metal scrap in the West Nile region has helped security agents recover hidden military hardware such as bombs and firearms, that were hidden by the former rebels groups that operated in the region.
Since January 2011, police and UPDF have recovered at least 20 bombs discovered by children who are sent to collect the metal scraps for sell.
In Yumbe, nine bombs were recovered and two anti tank bombs were recovered in Koboko yesterday, after locals who were collecting metal scraps found them in hidden places in Kerwa and Ludara sub counties.
In Moyo, six children were killed in February after a bomb blast.
Josephine Angucia, the police spokesperson for West Nile, says the bombs were left in the region by former rebel groups who operated in the region.
She says that the recent discoveries in Yumbe and Koboko show that the bombs were taken to the areas by former rebels.
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West Nile, that borders DR. Congo and Sudan has had three different former rebel groups who operated in the region agains the current Museveni regime.
The first was the Uganda National Rescue Front one that operated under the leadership of Lt. Gen Moses Ali, the second one was West Nile Bank Front of Juma Oris and UNRFII that was under Ali Bamuze.
But since some of the rebel groups signed peace agreement with the government, it is suspected that many of them did not hand over all the military hardware in their possession.
Captain Peter Mugisha, the army spokesman for northern Uganda, says many of the discovered bombs are still active indicating that they have not stayed in the bush for long.
He warned metal scrap buyers to be careful about their business because they can easily be arrested if they are discovered with such bombs already packed in their vehicles.
But Desmond Hassan, one of the metal scrap buyers says, before they buy any scrap they take its weight and some of the suspicious one’s are rejected.
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