UGANDA

EASTERN CONFLICTS
conflict with neighbours can be traced back to colonial
times when Uganda was under British rule.
The participants indicated that during the 1950s,
cattle disease in Karamoja forced the British to
quarantine many of the region’s cows in order
to control the spread of the illness. All cattle
coming from Karamoja were to undergo
screening before being allowed to enter
other districts. Any found to be sick were
immediately killed and burnt; Soroti
District was gazetted by the authorities
for this disposal process. Many
Karimojong livestock were disposed of
in this manner, to the objection of the
Karimojong community. This caused
a rift between Karimojong and Iteso,
as the former collectively accused the
Iteso of allying with the British to steal
and eat healthy Karimojong livestock.
According to participants, this
conflict forced Karimojong to organize
themselves with a vengeful attitude and
inspired attacks on a significant number
of Iteso animals. Numerous subsequent
raiding expeditions and counter attacks
plagued the Iteso-Karimojong relationship,
with spears, bows and arrows used as
primary weaponry. 365 The cycle of violence
was transformed in 1979 during the Liberation
War that ousted Idi Amin. The Karimojong raided
the Moroto barracks armoury in 1979 and looted
numerous guns, which they used to raid their minimally
armed neighbours. 366 This marked the beginning of a deadly
trend of armed raids by the Karimojong that continues to cause insecurity in eastern and
northern Uganda today. 367
In 1986, the violent raids intensified significantly due to the lack of governmental
protection from the National Resistance Army (NRA). It was even rumoured that the
University Research Paper No. 2005/47, pg. 3
365 Research conducted in Soroti and Bulambuli Districts
366 Also see Epelu-Opio, J. (2009) Teso War 1986-1992: Causes and Consequences, Kampala, Uganda,
Fountain Publishers
367 Research conducted in Soroti and Bulambuli Districts; see also Nannyonjo, J. (2005) Conflicts, poverty
and human development in Northern Uganda. United Nations University Research Paper No. 2005/47,
pp. 1-4.; Refugee Law Project (2002) War as normal: The impact of violence on the lives of displaced
communities in Pader District, Northern Uganda. RLP Working Paper No. 5. pp 6-7; Doom, R. and
Vlassenroot, K. (1999) Kony’s message: A new koine? The Lord’s Resistance Army in Northern Uganda.
African Affairs 98 (390), pp. 5-36
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