Business grounded to a halt in Moroto district on Monday afternoon following a clash between Jie cattle rustlers from Kotido district and UPDF soldiers at Kobebe grazing area.
The Jie cattle rustlers of Kotido had crossed to rustle animals in the busy Kobebe grazing area in Moroto district. There are about 50,000 Karimojong and Turkana pastoralists from Kenya with about 100,000 cows at Kobebe dam.
One UPDF soldier was injured in the one and half hour gun battle. John Lokol, one of the pastoralists in Kobebe, says a huge number of Jie warriors attacked the kraals belonging to the Matheniko and Turkanas and started driving over 700 head of cattle.
"They were many more than 30 of them others were armed with guns while others were armed with bow and arrows. They drove animals by the time, the army arrived, the warriors had moved a distance but within few minutes we heard gunshots," he said.
Magadalen Nacugei, one of those whose animals were taken, says the rustlers drove away all her 30 cows and she isn't sure whether she will be in a position to recover them.
"Am a widow and I have been managing my life with these cows. Now I don't know where to start from, I will die if the government doesn't help me and recover my cows," she said.
Major Peter Mugisa, the 3rd Division UPDF spokesperson said the soldiers are still pursuing the warriors. He said the soldiers have so far recovered 150 cattle from the warriors.
"They came in a large number and raided hundreds of cattle from Kobebe grazing area but our forces followed them. They had a fire exchange whereby one of our soldiers was injured and we have captured one of the warriors alive so he's helping us to identify the ring leaders of the raid," he said.
According to Maj. Mugisa the UPDF forces have surrounded the hills where warriors drove some cows adding that they will be got.
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