[allAfrica.com] Who is Behind Cattle Raids in Bundibugyo? New Vision (Kampala) ANALYSIS February 26, 2003 Posted to the web February 26, 2003 By Asuman Bisiika in Rwebisengo, Bundibugyo Kampala The Batuku are a small native tribe which has lived in Rwebisengo sub-county in Bundibugyo District as far back as the 18th Century. They have been cattle keepers from time immemorial, the soils in Butuku being too salty to support agriculture. But the life of the Batuku as cattle keepers seems to be under threat from cattle raids mounted by allegedly Lendu militiamen from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). According to a security official in Rwebisengo, over 400 heads of cattle have been raided within a period of two months, in a pattern and manner that suggests there is more to the raids than the mere stealing of cattle. The first cattle raid was on July 8, last year. In that particular raid, a herdsman commonly known as Mbumbulima was killed. On September 21, the same year, over 30 heads of cattle belonging to Bacuza, a Congolese Hema refugee were stolen. Case Kabona also lost eight heads of cattle on December 22 later that year. On February 4, this year, two hundred heads of cattle belonging to Case Kabona were raided and Bakabona, a herdsman was killed. That same day, 170 heads of cattle belonging to Erasto Baingi, a Congolese Hema refugee were also stolen. Fifteen of the raided cattle were killed when they failed to cross River Semuliki. On February 10, 2003, 23 cows belonging to a Joseph Irumba were raided. For a people whose livelihood depends on cattle, this state of affairs is very unsettling. Matters are compounded by the fact that the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) has not made any response to the raids despite their deployment in the area. Although the cattle raids seem to be a spill-over from the Lendu-Hema conflict in the DRC, the audacity with which Lendu militia cross into Uganda, seems to suggest that they are under the patronage of some serious operator. The Batuku do not have a history of hostility with the Lendu (they call them Balega). These cattle raids therefore come as a surprise since the two groups have lived in harmony for years. That is why the people think that the cattle raids could have something to do with politics and rebellion. Timothy Kyamanywa, the Bundibugyo District Councillor representing Rwebisengo sub-county, told this writer that the Lendu militia are now well armed with AK47s and have military uniforms. Well armed Lendu militia who are hostile to Uganda are a cause of concern to our government. UPDF deployment has been serious in Rwebisengo. "The Balega (Lendu) have confiscated all Ugandan fishing boats operating on River Semuliki. We have stopped watering our animals in River Semuliki for fear that our cattle being stolen. We now water our cattle using man-made wells. In general, Rwebisengo is insecure", says Kyamanywa. Although the UPDF officers in Rwebisengo told The New Vision that they have not yet established any connection between the Lendu militia and Ugandan rebels such as the Peoples Redemption Army (PRA) and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), the people in Rwebisengo say there might be a connection. The PRA is said to be commanded by UPDF renegades Col. Samson Mande and Col. Anthony Kyakabare. However, the fact that Thomas Lubanga has signed a co-operation pact with the RDC-Goma is worrying. This is because the PRA is thought to be training in areas under the RCD-Goma. This therefore makes a link between the Lendu militia and the Ugandan dissidents very possible. Through a pair of binoculars, one can see two big barracks of approximately the capacity of a battalion just across River Semuliki in the DRC. UPDF soldiers deployed in Rwebisengo told The New Vision that the soldiers in the DRC seem to be undergoing training because most of the time they are singing victory songs which is commonplace during training sessions. Balinda Kiremu, the LC Chairman I for Budiba Village in Rwebisengo, told The New Vision that some of the people who came to raid their cattle were speaking Luganda, Runyankore and Ugandan Swahili. This suggests a connection with Ugandan dissidents, but the army is insistent that there is no connection with Ugandan dissidents. What is unsettling the peasants wanainchi (local people), and the UPDF is: Which group is training which group? Whoever they are, they have made it known that they are hostile to the Government of Uganda. The Hemas who occupied the lowlands across River Semuliki in the DRC have been forced to flee into Uganda. Kahwa Mpanga, the Chief of the Hema in Kyomya is also said to be recruiting troops to attack the Lendu militia in the DRC. The situation in Rwebisengo is said to have seriously attracted the concern of the UPDF and the Government of Uganda. In early February, Col. Noble Mayombo, the chief of military intelligence visited Rwebisengo to have an on-the-spot assessment of the situation. However, on that day, some cattle keepers who went to water their animals in River Semuliki were fired at by the Lendu militia and two days after Mayombo's departure, more than 200 heads of cattle were stolen. Right now you cannot tell who is behind the cattle raids in Bundibugyo. But there is a strong suggestion that whoever they are, they would assist anyone fighting the Government of Uganda government. The UPDF is still deployed in Congo under some arrangement with the United Nations. However, this deployment is restricted to Bunia. Otherwise, the policing of the entire Ituri region is carried out by Lubanga's UPC administration which is not very friendly to Uganda. The people in Rwebisengo feel the UPDF is not doing enough to protect their lives and property. They accuse the UPDF of failure to respond to cattle raiders who take their cattle with impunity. "I think the UPDF takes this cattle raiding situation lightly. My fear is that the situation may get out of hand," says Kyamanya.   =============================================================================   Copyright © 2003 New Vision. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). =============================================================================