Col Emmy Katabazi, the Deputy Director General of the Internal Security Organization (ISO), has called on the Ateker to embrace peace and end bloodshed in the Karamoja region.
Ateker people are a distinct group of people composed of the Karamajong, Jie, Turkana, Pokot, Dodoth, Toposa, Nyangatom, and Itesots with reconnecting roots among sister tribes in Uganda, South Sudan, Kenya, and Ethiopia who share closely related lifestyles, languages, norms, and customs and sharing a common ancestry. Their aim is to preserve peace, unity, conservation, and ensuring prosperity among themselves.
Col Katabazi, who had been invited by the Ateker to attend their dialogue meeting that was organized by GIZ in partnership with USAID, IOM, and NDP, among others, on September 5, 2024, called for peace in the region since many people have lost lives in cultural conflicts, including soldiers.
“Those who are not for peace are the problem of Uganda,” he said.
The dialogue meeting, which centered on peace among the different affected tribes in Uganda and across borders, comprised the Karamajong, Dodoth, Turkana, Pokot from Western Kenya, and Ethiopia, among others who met at Karenga Catholic Church gardens during the fourth day of the 9th edition of the Karamoja Cultural Festival week, to deliberate on ensuring sharing water and pasture for their animals, boosting market for their products notwithstanding.
Col Katabazi implored the Ateker to be united and work together as a people, emphasizing that Karamoja is the richest region in Uganda with 52 industrial and mineral parks. He, therefore, asked them to utilize the available resources to bring development to the region and the country at large.
“Karamoja is the richest region in Uganda with 52 industrial and mineral parks. So, with the gold, copper, and all other minerals, Karamoja is able to make Uganda richer and more developed,” he noted.
The Teso Queen asked for peaceful association of the Nakarimajong-speaking people with the Itesots and other tribes.
The Ike leader said that as bee keepers who rely on beekeeping, they are faced with challenges of robbery and murder within Karamoja, as they are always attacked and their honey and fruits taken. He, therefore, wants the attendees to create peace and live harmoniously.
The 9th edition of the Karamoja Cultural Festival has been a week of not only celebrating the cultural diversity through showcasing traditional dances but also holding dialogues, including women and youth dialogues, whose aim is to promote peace among various tribes in the region, which is in line with the theme, “Celebrating Cultural Diversity, Peace, Coexistence, and Embracing Tourism for Sustainable Development.”
