Fifteen killed in Karamojong raid on IDP camp

Some 15 people have been killed after Karamojong pastoralists attacked a camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Katakwi District, Ugandan radio reported on Friday. Radio Uganda quoted assistant chief administrative officer for Katakwi District, Ojelun Toreme, as saying that a group of 200 Karamojong raiders attacked the camp, housing about 400 IDPs in Ngarium sub-county, at around midday on Thursday. Ojelun added that the "warriors" overpowered 40 members of the Local Defence Unit (LDU) stationed at Ngarium and stole over 500 head of cattle. "The New Vision' warned on 7 September that raiders from the neighbouring Karamoja subregion had reportedly been gathering at the border with Katakwi District, eastern Uganda, in preparation for fresh attacks. Speaking to a delegation of community leaders from Katakwi on Thursday, President Yoweri Museveni was quoted by Radio Uganda as saying that the government would increase the number of LDUs in the district, and would improve security on the roads as the government's programme for disarmament of the Karamojong was carried out. Persistent Karamojong cattle raiding in Katakwi has forced over 88,000 people into IDP camps, and led Katakwi District Council on 6 August to declare a state of emergency. [for background information, see separate IRIN story of 1 August, headlined "Karamojong force over 80,000 into IDP camps" at: http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN/archive/uganda.phtml]