A 28-year-old Karimojong warrior voluntarily handed over an illegally possessed gun to the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) at the Moroto army barracks on January 24, 2024. The firearm, along with three live rounds of ammunition, was surrendered by Loli Longoli, a resident of Kochunoi village in Moroto District.
The UPDF 3rd Division Commander, Maj Gen Don William Nabasa, received the firearm and expressed gratitude for Longoli’s voluntary participation in the disarmament operation. Longoli, accompanied by Emmanuel Lokii, a district councillor representing Rupa Sub-County, was commended for his positive gesture.
Maj Gen Nabasa urged local leaders to continue spreading awareness about the voluntary surrender of weapons, emphasizing the importance of respecting the existing Presidential Amnesty for armed Karacuna to relinquish their firearms. Lokii, the district councillor, called for increased security-community engagement between the Tepeth and Matheniko communities during the ongoing disarmament operation.
Longoli, who had been grazing and hiding in the wilderness for the past three years, explained that he couldn’t withstand the pressure from joint security forces in pursuit of armed criminal elements. Longoli, acknowledging the opportunity to surrender and regain freedom, handed over the firearm to the authorities.
As a result of his surrender, Longoli was issued a Karamoja voluntary disarmament card, joining hundreds of Karacuna who have surrendered their firearms. They are now awaiting benefits from earmarked government incentives. In a related incident on December 26, 2023, UPDF announced that another notorious warrior, Paul Longoli, voluntarily surrendered an illegal gun to the third infantry division commander, Maj Gen Nabasa, in North Karamoja.
