Intel Analysis: The Karachuna Boda Boda War and the origins of the recent killings in Moroto District

Introduction

Karamoja today is a region bursting with promise. With significant improvements in the security situation that had exploded since 2019. We now see a lot of life returning to normalcy across the region, with businessmen, traders and communities seemingly picking up where they left off. The change of guard by the UPDF 3rd Div was a welcome decision by virtually all in Karamoja and the 2023 visit by President Museveni’s Special Advisor General Caleb Akandwanaho (Aka General Salim Saleh) coupled with the President’s cabinet reshuffle and various other initiatives leave room for hope.

That being said. The past three weeks in Moroto District have brought into question many issues. The long forgotten low intensity conflict between Matheniko and Tepeth communities and the involvement of armed raiders in mining around Mt. Moroto was a powder keg waiting to explode.

In the past month along at least 10 lives have been lost, mainly boda boda riders and traders, which has led some to feel as though security forces are only focusing on elain(urban centers) and forgetting about most people in the Ngireria (Villages) and Ngawuyoi (kraals). The attacks at sunbelt and the challenges of disarming warriors who are deeply entrenched mountainous areas pose a threat to further investments, tourism, and development initiatives in the region.

This article aims to look at the recent upsurge in violence from a different perspective than is being discussed, reveal any potential hidden hands in the conflict as well as provide policy recommendations to solve the impasse.

Why do we call it the boda boda war?

We are aware that the recent killings have various dimensions and is affected by a myriad of factors.

For example:

1.      the current land conflict between the Tepeth and Matheniko Communities within Moroto that has claimed hundreds of lives over the years and that threatens to restart resulting from the Government Decision to send the Tepeth into the lowlands to better access services and stop tree cutting in Tepeth which threatens to make the whole Moroto a desert (UNDP Expert Report 2021)

2.      The involvement of armed gangs of youth in the mountainous border are who are engaged in the lucrative gold and precious mineral trade (The Independent 2023).

3.      The aftermath of the March to April 2022 security operations in the Nakiloro-Nakaabat-Loolung areas in which there was significant collateral damage to innocent civilians caught in the crossfire as the UPDF pursued the killers of the geologists (OSINT 2022).

4.      Climate Change impacts as communities gather around and compete for the few water sources left in the region.

The reason we call it the boda boda war is because it is young boda riders who are being killed and targeted are the main victims.

Allow us to tell you a story.

The story

This week boda boda riders stormed the District Headquarters in Moroto demanding to meet the DPC. They allege, that the self-declared unofficial chairman of the so-called ‘boda association of Moroto town’ has been using his position of authority and networks with his agents to arrest any boda from outside the municipality and forcefully demand them to pay an illegal fee to be released and move unmolested.

While bodas from areas such as Nandunget, Lotisan, Kodonyo would pay the fine and suffer quietly it is believed that the boda men who reside in the Nakiloro-Nakaabat-Loolung areas, along the Kenya-Uganda Highway cried to their still armed colleagues about the constant harassment in Moroto.

This kept on for a yet unspecified amount of time. Whenever boda men from outside the town but within the district would come to town, they would be molested and illegally charged. In retaliation the armed friends, relatives, and colleagues of these bodas from the borderland would mount roadblocks, strip search, sometimes harass or beat any boda rider from the town and on some occasions take their property.

As the harassment from Moroto continued some few individuals decreed that due to the continued harassment they will kill 100 boda riders in revenge.

It must be noted that the reason these armed elements use boda bodas for supply runs is because they choose to live in their own anarchic territory euphuistically called “Somalia” within the border area. Many wanted raiding elements have joined their numbers and their involvement in the mineral trade and constant rearmament have further emboldened them.

The Way forward

This low intensity conflict highlights the disconnect between the urban and rural parts of Karamoja, the dangers of human greed on both sides.

On the one hand corrupt self appointed officials usurping power that does not belong to them to seize people’s livelihoods and on the other hand armed opportunistic elements seeking to perpetuate a state of lawlessness.

The issue is further compounded by the fact that the killings seem to be on tribal lines of Matheniko vs Tepeth which seems to point at an evil agenda to cause chaos and confusion and hide behind the clothing of the boda boda conflict. This we cannot speak of in public for obvious reasons.

Recommendations

We call upon the UPDF, UPF, ASTU, ISO, ESO, OPM, State House, NGOs, and other parties to help implement the following peace recommendations to address following to address this issue

1.      The so called ‘Moroto Boda Boda Association’ cease and desist from any illegal charges and molestation of boda bodas from outside the town as a show of good faith and publicly apologize for the harassment.

2.      The Warriors of Tepeth and Matheniko agree to halt the killings, roadside ambushes, and gun attacks as a show of good faith in preparation for peace talks

3.      The warriors in Matheniko and Tepeth agree to a teleconference peace meeting similar to the meeting held at Lokitela Ka Ekuwam in 2019 December

4.      The communities of Matheniko and Tepeth come together for various peace activities alongside reformed warriors from Tepeth and Matheniko.

5.      The government of the Republic of Uganda include all reformed warriors’ groups in government programs like PDM, Emyooga, State House Skilling, Youth Livelihood fund to incentivize the armed elements to hand over their guns peacefully. Even if there are non-cash transfers and the government provides them with inputs it would be ok to prevent the money being used to by arms alternatively the government could utilize RDCs to oversee and ensure funds are spent properly.

6.      UPDF and Security Forces emphasize Civil Military Cooperation (CIMIC) to ensure community buy into the peace process and stop people from seeing the army as another clan in the conflict

7.      UPDF Medical teams work with VHTs Health Center IIs and Health Center IIIs to run mobile clinics in difficult areas as part of CIMIC which was suggested by Ministry of Defense in October 2021 (Karamoja Taskforce Notes 2021).

Disarming Karamoja cannot take long but it will be bloody and costly for communities, wananchi and security. This is why we suggest peaceful disarmament and voluntary inducements. With incentive we can end banditry.

Conclusion

We must also note with enthusiasm the steps which the UPDF 3rd Division has taken to ensure security and stability as well as the development projects they have undertaken such as fixing and sinking boreholes across the region and desilting valley tanks alongside security and development road construction in the region.

We further commend that cases of torture, summary execution, arbitrary arrest has significantly dropped across the region.

We hope this article was informative. Please like, share, and subscribe for more updates pertaining to Karamoja follow us on our WhatsApp channel (Karamoja Trumpet News), twitter and on Youtube @ Karamoja Trumpet TV