The leaders of the Ateker community in Uganda have called for government support towards their ongoing peace initiatives to address cross-border security challenges so as to unlock development in the different areas where they have settled.
According to the Teso paramount chief, Paul Sande Emolot, among the initiatives they have is a peace caravan that will conduct peace promotion activities within the outer care communities, including Teso and Karamoja and across the border, in Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Sudan.
“I call upon President Yoweri Museveni to give us maximum support in our peace-promoting initiatives. Your Excellency, once that is achieved, we shall now go to the next stage, where you have always been devoted to,” Emolot said.
In his address on November 27, 2024, Chief Emolot further appreciated the president for reviving the standard gauge railway in Tororo, emphasizing that it will connect the Ateker community to other regions like Moroto, then to the Ethiopian border, which will help promote a lot of trade within the Ateker region.
This call for support follows recent efforts by leaders from the Ateker border communities, including groups from Uganda’s Karamojong, Kenya’s Turkana, and South Sudan’s Toposa and Didinga, who gathered on November 1, 2024, in Moroto, Uganda.
During the high-level meeting, community leaders signed a joint report pledging to promote peaceful coexistence, strengthen cultural ties, and collaboratively address issues affecting their communities.
They recognized that illegal firearms contribute significantly to insecurity in border areas and committed to supporting government-led disarmament efforts.
The Ateker Reunion Festival, which is ongoing and scheduled to end on November 29, 2024, is a key moment for cultural celebration and cross-border collaboration themed Fostering Peace and Unity for Sustainable Development.
