The Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF) and a group of armed cattle rustlers have reached a deal to end more than two weeks of violence in Moroto District.
The UPDF Third Division spokesman, Lt. Henry Obbo, says deal was struck this morning between acting Third Division Commander, Lt. Col. Atwooki Ndawula and the self-styled king of the Karamojong Tepeth clan, who only goes by the name of Alamtoli.
During the meeting held at Katikekile Mission near the Uganda-Kenya border in Moroto, Alamtoli pledged to mobilize the Tepeth, Pian and Pokot clans to support the Karamoja disarmament and peace efforts. He also permitted the Moroto local government to establish administrative structures in his area of influence.
Alamtoli has been running his own government in the Katikekile hills, from where he would preside over his own local courts and occasionally sentence people to death. He would also sanction and bless Tepeth cattle rustlers to carry out raids in Moroto and neighbouring districts.
Lt. Obbo says the deal will enable the army to enter areas considered safe zones for the cattle rustlers and to disarm them.
//Cue in: iWe are moving away #i
Cue out: i# for the warriors.i//
The meeting this morning was mediated by the Presidential Advisor on Disarmament, Michael Lote.
In other news, the UPDF has in the past week killed 18 Karamojong cattle rustlers and recovered 95 guns in cordon and search operations in Karamoja.
