UGANDA: CONFLICT ASSESSMENT REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY 2018

In the Karamoja sub region, cattle rustling is on the increase, with incidents reported in the districts of Kaabong, Kotido, and Moroto. The Jie of Kotido, the Dodoth of Kaabong, and the Turkana from North West Kenya are stealing livestock from each other, threatening the hard-earned peace in the region. A number of people have been killed during the raiding and counter-raiding incidents. The influx of over 70,000 Turkana pastoralists from North West Kenya, accompanied by approximately 100,000 livestock, has led to increased tension and frequent attacks in the region. Community members accuse the Turkana of encroaching on their grazing land and stealing their livestock. In response, a delegation of leaders from Karamoja and Teso sub regions has moved into the Bokora cattle corridor to quell disputes that are getting out of hand. In the Northern Region, the long-standing conflict between nomadic pastoralists, commonly known as "Balaalo," and residents of the West Nile region continues to escalate. Residents accuse the pastoralists of destroying their gardens, grabbing land, and harassing indigenous communities on the land where they graze their animals. The Uganda President, Yoweri Museveni, has directed that the pastoralists be evicted from the West Nile sub region and returned to their land of origin by mid-March 2018. In the Eastern Region, tension is high in the Bukedi sub region following clashes between the Bagwere of Budaka district and the Banyole of Butaleja district over the boundary separating the two districts. Residents of Budaka district destroyed food crops belonging to residents of Butaleja district at Limoto swamp, leading to retaliatory attacks by the residents of Butaleja district. Police have been deployed to the area to prevent further clashes. In the Western Region, tension is high in Bushenyi district following a fight between two Muslim factions that resulted in the destruction of Basajjabala Mosque in Ishaka Municipality. More than 30 people were injured, and doors and windows were damaged. Police have arrested seven people suspected of masterminding the incident. In the Central Region, the security situation in the greater Masaka region continues to deteriorate. Anonymous letters and leaflets have been disseminated, threatening residents who are living in fear. Many residents have been robbed, beaten, and stabbed to death, and there have been reported incidents of rape and arson. The President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, has visited the area to reassure the community, and the Inspector General of Police, Kale Kayihura, has pitched camp in the area to intensify community policing and neighborhood watch vigilance.