By Tolit Ivan
The Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) has disclosed that it plans to deploy aircrafts to hunt down errant migrant cattle keepers (balaalo) evading eviction.
Last month President Yoweri Museveni issued another executive order number 2 to evict migrant cattle keepers from the region and other areas in the country.
There are an estimated 200,000 herds of cattle belonging to the migrant cattle keepers, predominantly from Western Uganda, being grazed in northern Uganda.
Since the latest eviction commenced last month, more than 12,000 heads of cattle had by Friday been evicted from West Acholi and West Nile Sub-regions.
Major General Felix Busizoori, the UPDF Fourth Division Infantry Commander, says though the exercise is going on well, there are reports that a number of Pastoralists are hiding in the bushes with a large of number of animals.
According to Major General Busizoori, the army plans to deploy planes to hunt down these errant migrant cattle keepers and evict them from the region.
The latest eviction order is aimed at allowing the audit on cattle keepers claiming they legitimately bought land, have fenced their farms’ sanctuary, have permanent water sources and have not blocked access to the permanent water sources.
The balaalo, mainly from western Uganda, began settling in the north over the last decade in search of grazing land.
