A cross section of Karamoja
leaders have expressed anger after a group of Karamoja youths who were jailed
in Acholi prisons returned home bone thin.
About 442 suspected to be in illegal
possession of firearms were rounded up during a UPDF cordon and search
operation, screened and those presumed guilty were taken to detention
facilities.
After serving their jail term, about 198
youth were released and returned home looking malnourished and bone thin, an
incident that has sparked a lot of anger among Karamoja leaders and residents.
Kotido district
Chairperson, Paul Komol Lotee claim the youths were arrested were innocent while
the culprits who raided the alleged cows from Agago were left out.
Lotee added
that most of those arrested were ordinary farmers from the Sub Counties of
Lobanya, Kapeta and Kamor
respectively.
Meanwhile,
Faith Nakut, Napak district woman MP took to her Twitter Page tasking
government to account for the unfair treatment of the youth who were arrested.
On the other hand, Simon Peter Longole, an activist
says the use of starvation as a weapon of war or means of punishing prisoners
is a clear violation of basic human rights and he called upon government to
investigate the reports of starving Karamoja
youth and take swift action against the violators.
Gulu Prison
authorities have remained tight lipped on the incident.