Kampala — THE UPDF has recovered 7,992 guns from the Karimojong, four years after President Yoweri Museveni re-launched the disarmament exercise at Moroto Boma grounds.

Daniel Edyegu writes that the UPDF 3rd Division spokesman, Capt. Henry Obbo, said in an interview recently that between 2004 and 2005, 1,100 guns were collected, while 3,936 guns were got in 2006. He said 1,000 guns were recovered in 2007 and 1,956 gunsâ-‚had been got from the warriors since the beginning of this year.

During the first phase of the disarmament exercise that started in 2001, 16,000 guns were recovered. "Initially, the exercise was voluntary and there was an overwhelming response from the warriors to hand over the illegal guns. As time went on, however, they started becoming hesitant. So the army had to apply both voluntary and forceful disarmament in the second phase," Obbo said.

He said since the re-launch of the exercise, less than 50 guns had been recovered voluntarily. He said the army had also blocked the gun trafficking routes from Kenya and Southern Sudan.