Kotido, Uganda – Francis Losigaara once turned to cattle rustling as a means to provide for his family. However, after watching his best friends die during raids gone wrong, he surrendered his gun to the Ugandan military and took to farming instead. When raiding returned to Karamoja four years ago, Losigaara co-founded a group of reformed raiders aiming to promote peace efforts.
The poverty rate in Karamoja is considerably high, making it difficult for people to find sources of income. Cattle raiding is driven by scarcity, as jobs are scarce and food is hard to come by. With guns flowing over the borders from neighboring countries, raiding seems like the only available option.
After losing all his animals to raids, Lowat Longorialem decided to take matters into his own hands, joining a group of rustlers to steal the cattle back. However, he soon realized that holding a gun meant he was putting his life in danger, leading him to join Losigaara’s peace efforts instead.
Losigaara and his group of reformed raiders work to convince other rustlers to surrender their weapons, knowing the struggles that push young men to resort to violence. Their efforts have seen some success, with former raiders returning home and engaging in forgiveness dialogues with communities they had previously robbed.
However, the challenge of making a living in Karamoja remains a hurdle, compounded by the slow arrival of support for reformed raiders. Economic challenges and a poor harvest could potentially push people back into raiding.
Local leaders and Ugandan military officials have drawn up lists of ex-raiders eligible for aid, but the process has been slowed by various hurdles and scandals. Despite this, the peace activists in Karamoja remain hopeful that stability will lead to positive changes in the region, enabling them to send their children to school and improve their overall quality of life.