2010-04-12
KAMPALA (Reuters) - Ugandan troops killed 41 Karamojong warriors last week in a fierce gun battle after intercepting them stealing hundreds of cattle from a rival tribe, the local Daily Monitor newspaper said on Monday.

Located in the isolated northeastern corner of east Africa's third largest economy, Karamoja is one of Uganda's poorest regions, plagued by frequent inter-tribal clashes.

The battle took place last Wednesday as warriors from the Jie tribe attacked the neighbouring Dodoth tribe, the Daily Monitor said, quoting a local elder. The region's desperately poor infrastructure means news often takes days to filter out.

"They (the army) have killed very many Jie warriors here. We have counted up to 41 and they are still pursuing others," local councillor Akol Nakwang told Uganda's leading independent daily.

Uganda's army, the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF), has been trying to disarm Karamoja's cattle-rustling tribes for several years after the warriors exchanged their traditional spears for automatic rifles.

Tribes from the region, and across the border in Kenya, have traditionally stolen cattle to use as dowry payments and bolster prestige, but the use of automatic weapons has upped the stakes.

The UPDF was not immediately available for comment. Earlier the commander of the 5th Division based in the region told the Daily Monitor his soldiers had killed 14 warriors and recovered more than 1,250 cattle.