By Weswa Ronnie
KARAMOJA
Security Agencies in the Karamoja sub region have sent out a strongly worded warning to Amudat District leadership over their decision to chase away Sabiny from the district.
According to a press statement issued by the sub region’s Police Spokesperson, IP Mike Longole, the Amudat district leadership sat on Wednesday and resolved that the Pokot Community should chase away the Sabiny by Friday, 16th February, 2024.
Longole says such a move is not only sectarian but also undermines the supreme law of the Republic of Uganda which allows a citizen to settle anywhere in the country arguing that the two communities should continue living together in harmony as Ugandans.
The meeting is alleged to have been chaired by the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) and attended by Deputy RDC, LCV Amudat, Sub county councilors, LC3s, LC1s, some elders and a few members of the Community.
He says that as joint security forces, it is their role to keep law and order and to uphold the constitution of the Republic of Uganda and ensure that the resolution passed by the leadership of Amudat District does not cause bloodshed between the two communities.
“We therefore warn RDC Amudat and his team not to cause mayhem in the District by immediately dropping that agenda and cause unity of the two communities in conflict,” Longole warns.
The Police Spokesperson warns further that If nothing is done by the said leadership to bring unity to the two communities before 16.2.2024, they shall remain with no option but to arrest and prosecute leaders who are involved in inciting violence among the two Communities.
“We are preparing our security teams to avert the danger,” he says.
GENESIS
The conflict of the Kalenjin speaking tribes in Uganda Pokot of Amudat in Karamoja and Sabiny of Mt Elgon in Uganda have reached to the highest peak after the Sabiny blocked the Pokot pastoralists from crossing to graze their livestock in Sebei land.
In retaliation, the Pokot community gave an ultimatum of two days to all the Sabiny speaking tribe working in various offices of Amudat district to leave the district within two days.
By Thursday the meeting called by the district leaders attended by the resident district commissioner Amudat George Owanyi and his deputy Akol had no option but to succumb into the pressure by the political leaders to flash out all the Sabiny speaking officials who are many in Amudat district to go back to their Sebei ancestral land.
Joseph Chebet on of the community animal health worker in Amudat said many sabiny have fled the district, including teachers have packed their belongings out of Amudat.
Speaking to the media, Mr. Micheal Longole the Karamoja regional police spokesperson said security had come across the biased and sectarian information circulating on social media deepening the rift of Division between the Sabiny and the Pokot.
