Brigadier General Felix Busizoori, Commander of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) 4th Infantry Division, has issued a strong warning to individuals spreading unfounded rumours on social media, particularly claims that 400 human sacrifices are needed before the reopening of Karuma Bridge in Northern Uganda.
“This is 100 percent false,” Brig Gen Busizoori stated during a press conference at the 4th Division Headquarters in Gulu City on November 20, 2024.
Efforts are underway to track down and prosecute those responsible for propagating such falsehoods. “We are doing everything it takes to identify those spreading harmful propaganda so that they are apprehended and charged in courts of law,” he affirmed.
The baseless rumours have sown fear among schoolchildren, farmers, business owners, travellers, and even security personnel. Brig Gen Busizoori suggested the disinformation campaign aims to undermine the government ahead of the political campaign period. “The point is to scare the masses so that they discredit the government as unpopular,” he explained. “But what they don’t know is that they are making people poor because, as we talk now, people are scared to go to their gardens.”
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Samuel Asiimwe, Regional Police Commander, echoed the concerns and urged smartphone users to exercise caution. “We have a challenge of some people with access to smartphones using them for all sorts of purposes and intents, some bordering on criminality,” he said.
SSP Asiimwe also debunked claims of widespread violence, clarifying that no incidents of head-cutting have been reported aside from a single murder case in Amuru District. “If they were interested in the head, they would have cut off the head and gone with it,” he remarked.
The rumour, fuelled by social media users sharing unrelated and graphic images from West Africa, has created unnecessary panic in the region. Security forces, however, assure the public they are in control of the situation and urge calm while investigations continue
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