The wounds of the quasi-civil war keep increasing as scars are yet to heal. Esther Ayao, a 47-year-old woman in Lamwo District, died after an unexploded device detonated while she was working in her garden.
The victim was tending to her crops in Nimu Village, Pawo West Parish, Lukungu Sub-County, when the device, suspected to have been left behind during the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency, exploded, killing her instantly.
This incident was confirmed by UPDF 5th Division Commander, Major General Keith Katungi, who urged the community to remain vigilant while farming.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to the family of the deceased. We also urge the public to exercise caution and immediately alert authorities if they come across any objects that may be explosive,” Maj. Gen. Katungi said.
Captain Edrin Mawanda, the Public Information Officer of the 5th Division, reaffirmed the army’s commitment to ensuring public safety.
He said the body of the deceased had been taken to Lamwo Health Centre for a postmortem before being handed over to the family for burial.
In November 2023, a teenage boy in Agago District was killed after picking up a metallic object while grazing animals, unaware it was an explosive.
Similarly, in March 2024, two children in Pader District sustained severe injuries when an explosive exploded as they played near their home.
The same year in June, a farmer in Amuru District lost his leg after striking an old landmine with his hoe, prompting renewed calls for a UXO clearance campaign. However, funding for mining operations has remained limited.
Despite efforts by the Uganda People’s Defense Forces and humanitarian organizations to clear explosive remnants of war, local leaders say many areas in the Acholi and Lango sub-regions remain hazardous.
