By Simon Naulele
Emmanuel Angiro has no recollection of how close he came to death in infancy. All he knows is that he has grown up being referred to as “that boy” a curiosity in his community. Growing up in a community devastated by insecurity and insurgencies from cattle rustlers and rebels, he is not the only orphan. His only distinction is he cheated the death that took his mother.
Almost 19 years ago, a group of Karimojong cattle rustlers raided Ngariam internally displaced people’s (IDPs) camp at Apeuru-Aodot in Ngariam Sub-county, Katakwi District.
The then assistant chief administrative officer for Katakwi District, Ojelun Toreme, was reported saying that a group of 200 Karimojong raiders attacked the camp housing about 400 internally displaced persons in Ngariam Sub-county, at around midday on that day.
Ojelun added that the “warriors” overpowered 40 members of the Local Defence Unit (LDU) stationed at Ngariam and stole more than 500 heads of cattle.
Angiro’s mother Magdalene Ikareut, 26, was one of those killed on September 13, 2001. She was among the many people who had sought refuge at the internally displaced people’s camp at Ngariam.
Angiro, who was just three days old, was also shot. The bullet entered through his buttocks cheek and went up to the left hand side of the lower abdomen.
