Security operatives in Gulu district say they have recovered at least 35 guns and over 100 rounds of ammunition from illegal possession since December 22 last year, when a shoot-to-kill operation was launched against armed robbers.
Chris Owori, the Gulu Resident District Commissioner said 31 of the guns were handed over by a group called Otole that was allegedly given 35 guns for self defence at the height of the insurgency. He, however, did not explain the fate of the four guns that remained with the group. Owori said another four guns were recovered during separate operations by the police in areas of Obia West and Cereleno in Gulu municipality as well as Palaro and Lakwana sub counties in Gulu district.
The RDC, who also heads the district security committee, said they are registering all the guns being recovered following a realization that there are a lot of firearms in illegal possession. Owori however insists that no decision has been made about shooting on sight people found in possession of illegal firearms.
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In December last year, the army said they were launching an operation to shoot on sight any one found to be holding firearms illegally. Peter Mugisa, the UPDF 4th division spokesperson said the operation was a result of reports about armed robberies. He however said people who freely surrendered their guns would not be punished.
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More than a month since the launch of the operation, however, the army is tightlipped on how many people could have been killed in the shoot-to-kill operation. The operation has since been denied by both the police and the RDC who said they were not aware about the shoot-to-kill decision.
Security operatives suspect a high volume of firearms in illegal possession but no clear statistics exist to show exactly how many illegal guns are present in the area that has been home to decades of insurgency between the LRA rebels and government forces.
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