KAMPALA, March 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A combination of suspected armed Matheniko –Turkana raiders murdered three geologists on a mineral mapping mission in Karamoja, the Ugandan army said as the security situation deteriorates in the sub-region.
Two soldiers of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence forces were also killed in the exchange of close fire.
The alleged assailants confronted the team near Lokisilei village, some 35 kilometres North of Moroto town before a shoot-out ensued.
The deceased geologist has been identified as Richard Kigwe, the team leader, Charles Olweny, a community liaison officer working for EX-CALIBAR, a firm that was charged with conducting the geophysical aerial survey in Karamoja and a female geologist in her 20s Edna Musiime who was doing a geological course at Makerere University.
The 3rd infantry division commander, Brig. Joseph Balikudembe, briefed journalists at the sidelines of a security crisis meeting that was chaired by the Moroto Resident District Commissioner, James Shilaku.
“We lost three geologists and three soldiers in cold blood,” he noted, adding that another three including the interpreter escaped unhurt.
He added that the troops had embarked on the manhunt for the bandits who have now taken refuge in the wilderness for fear of the repercussions from the army.
He said, the civilian bodies had been brought to the Moroto Regional Referral Hospital morgue, while the army kept theirs in the Moroto barracks mortuary.
In 2019, government started mapping of the areas in the Karamoja region that may hold substantial deposits of gold, copper and other lucrative minerals.
At the end of the exercise, the government hopes to have confirmed the various minerals that exist in the area, their location and the estimated size of deposits.
Balikudembe said at least 251 suspected cattle rustlers were killed last year in the Karamoja sub-region by a joint force of police and the army.
In the same period, at least 1,626 suspected rustlers were arrested, 291 of whom have so far been prosecuted and a total of 14,898 livestock were recovered. Security forces also recovered at least 160 guns. — NNN-AGENCIES
