Kabona Esiara & Phoebe Mutetsi
31 July 2006
Kampala — The Prime Minister, Prof. Apolo Nsibambi, has appointed an 11-man team to investigate allegations that the UPDF rape Karimojong women during the disarmament exercise in the region.
The team headed by the Director Uganda Human Rights Commission, Mr Nathan Byamukama, is to start work in August. According to the terms of reference, shown to Daily Monitor on Thursday at the Prime Ministers Office in Kampala, the team will also investigate allegation that the army murdered, tortured and burnt homesteads of Karimojong warriors.
Nsibambi demands that the soldiers found guilty be brought to book.
The allegations led to the suspension of funding by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and subsequent withdrawn from the region.
The Assistant Secretary in the Prime Minister's office, Ms Frances Wandira, said UNDP suspended its activities in Karamoja sub-region in June.
"They (UNDP) had allowed to release $1million about Shs185 billion, to construct and de-silt dams in the region, however they halted funding demanding an indepth investigations into allegations of human rights abuses," Wandira said.
"We must carry out these investigations to clear the air." Other members of the team are, Lt. Patrick Mwesige and W. R. Tugume from the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence, Mr Charles Mwesigye and Mr Wilson Omoding from Police.
Others are Mr Micheal Lokawua, the Special Presidential Assistant on Karamoja Affairs, Mr James Okuja Ocen, Ms Flavia Waduwa, and Frances Wandira from the Prime Minister's Office.
Yet to be named are representatives from the Human Rights Network and the Attorney General's office.
Wandira said the team was asked to prepare a report, which would be presented to the Prime Minister within 18 days.
The team will travel to Kotido district where it is alleged that on May 19, in Jimos village, the UPDF and LDUs surrounded natives and forced them to hand over their weapons.
Inner City Press, a media organisation, blew the whistle about gross human rights abuse during the disarmament.
"Four people were killed by the UPDF including a 15-year-old girl.
Over 100 homes and the protective fence shelters used to protect the collective living space from enemy armed raiders were burnt," Inner City Press reported.
"Many inhabitants, were taken and detained in the UPDF barracks in Kotido."
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