Two men in northern Uganda have been shot dead by soldiers after being wrongly identified as cattle raiders, the army has confirmed.
The incident happened late on Wednesday at a community kraal in Namukora sub-county, Kitgum district. The victims, identified as 50-year-old Joseph Obutu and 42-year-old Richard Opira, were killed by Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) soldiers stationed at the Kitleng detachment.
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Capt. Edrin Mawanda, spokesperson for the UPDF 5th Division, said the soldiers spotted the men with two oxen around 11 p.m. and assumed they were armed Karimojong raiders attempting to steal livestock.
“The soldiers suspected them to be Karimojong warriors driving away cultivating bulls. Unfortunately, this turned out to be a case of mistaken identity,” Capt. Mawanda said in a statement.
Kitgum Resident District Commissioner Jimmy Ssegawa Ebil told reporters that the men, who were reportedly intoxicated, had strayed from their path during curfew hours. He added that the kraal had previously been targeted by raiders, including an incident last year when 16 cattle were stolen.
Security forces were already on heightened alert following an attempted raid in a neighbouring sub-county the previous night, a factor officials said contributed to the soldiers’ misjudgment.
The UPDF has expressed regret over the killings and extended condolences to the victims’ families, pledging support with burial arrangements.
The army has since urged residents to comply with local bylaws and avoid moving in restricted areas during night curfew hours to prevent further tragedies.
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