Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Two pieces of anti-tank landmines and more than 9,000 rounds of live ammunition have been recovered abandoned in Palabek Kal sub county, Lamwo district.
The bombs were recovered on Monday by the Uganda Peoples Defense Force (UPDF) soldiers following a tip-off by farmers who were cultivating their gardens in Bigwen and Rubanga hills in Ayuu Alali.
Lamwo Resident District Commissioner James Kidega Nabinson says that the bombs are believed to have been abandoned by fleeing Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel group since they were recovered in an area that was a stronghold of the rebels.
He says that the calibres of bombs recovered are the type used to destroy buildings and armoured vehicles and tanks.
According to Kidega, the bombs and each of the bullet casings had Arabic words inscribed on them.
Robert Komakech, the farmer who discovered the ordnances says that the government should clear all unexploded ordnances in the area. He says that some farmers have been forced to abandon their gardens for fear of being killed by the ordinances.
Kidega says the discovery is an indication that the area is not yet free of unexploded ordnances.
He says that his office has embarked on a risk awareness campaign for the public to take precautions of any suspicious objects that should be reported to the security personnel.
*****
URN