Jie elders have given the leadership of Karamoja district a week’s ultimatum to return all rustled animals or face renewed raids. A kraal leader only identified as Apaloreng from Panyangara Sub County blames Moroto authorities for failing to restrain youths from the district from attacking the Jie clan in Kotido despite several pleas.
Apaloreng says if one week elapses without tangible result from Moroto district an all out raid will begin. He claims that for the last two and half years Panyangara and Nakapelimoru Sub Counties have lost close to 3,000 animals to Moroto district in cattle raids. At least 50 elders mostly from Nakapelimoru Sub County in Kotido district arrived in Moroto on Wednesday, after trekking for over 95 kilometers in search of their animals.
They were stolen by suspected Mateniko warriors last years. A kraal leader only identified as Apaloreng from Panyangara Sub County blames Moroto authorities for failing to restrain youths from the district from attacking the Jie clan in Kotido despite several pleas.Lokoroi Apanyelimo asks government to intervene and expedite the recovery of over 100 animals that were stolen in December.
He appeals to Moroto leaders to accept their demands so that the relationship between the two communities is not strained. Richard Anyama , Moroto District Police Commander says that they have only managed to recover a single cow belonging to the Jie from a Kraal in Loputuk village. He says an operation has been launched in Nadunget Sub County to search for the stolen cattle.
Anyama appeals to the leaders in Moroto to cooperate during the exercise in order to strengthen the existing relations between the two clans. He adds that once the animals are recovered they will be handed over to the elders.
