Ugandan cattle clashes leave 30 dead

Cattle raids are common in the region

By Nathan Etungu BBC, Mbale, north-eastern Uganda

Fighting between rival tribesmen in a remote area of north-eastern Uganda has left dozens of people dead.

The clashes erupted on Sunday when ethnic Pian Karamojong attacked ethnic Bokora in a bid to steal their cattle, army sources say.

At least 30 people from the Bokora tribe were killed and a dozen injured during those recent ethnic clashes over cattle and grazing land.

The clashes are a frequent occurrence, especially during the dry season when local communities move with their herds in search of pasture and water.

Revenge attack

Pian attackers made off with more than 600 heads of cattle, the Uganda Peoples Defence Force (UPDF) operations officer in eastern Uganda, Lieutenant-Colonel John Baptist Mulindwa, told the BBC.

Colonel Mulindwa said members of the Pian tribe had been complaining of poor government protection against the Bokora who had launched a series of cattle raids after they had handed in their guns to the authorities under a government-sponsored disarmament scheme.

The cow is at the centre of the tribal value system

Colonel Mulindwa said that a contingent of UPDF soldiers had been sent to pursue Pian raiders who were heading towards Lolacat sub-county in Nakapiripirit district.

The operations officer added that two units of UPDF soldiers were trying to encircle the area

An operation would then be carried out to try and round up all the heads of cattle.

The raid occurred barely six days after 17 Pian Karamojong local defence unit personnel and an unknown warrior were killed when trying to recover over 800 head of cattle raided by another rival group, the Pokot.