A Ugandan military court martial sitting in the country’s northeastern district of Kotido has sentenced four cattle rustlers to 60 years in prison over the killing of four people including two soldiers in July, a spokesperson said Monday.
The third Infantry Division Court Martial jailed the four cattle rustlers from Jie ethnic group over the shooting and killing of a detachment commander, a soldier, a local leader and another civilian at Lopuyo trading center in Kotido on July 2, Moses Amuya, military public information officer based in Moroto, told Xinhua over telephone.
The Karamoja sub-region, consisting of seven districts including Kotido and Moroto, is known for its traditional cattle herding practices, and cattle play a central role in Karamojong culture and economy. However, livestock theft happens from time to time, which has been a source of conflict between different ethnic groups in the region.
The Uganda People’s Defense Forces is currently carrying out a disarmament operation to stem the practice.
