Uganda, May 22 -- Abim, a land long shackled by poverty and insecurity, now teeters on the brink of a monumental makeover. Historically tormented by cattle rustling-a perennial thorn in the sides of the Jie and Labwor tribes-this Luo land has been ensnared in a vicious cycle of violence and destitution. The locals' fervent cries for intervention against the relentless scourge of rustling have frequently fallen on deaf ears.

But lo and behold! The discovery of substantial gold deposits in Abim has suddenly lit a fire under the government's backside. Swift eviction of the community from the gold mines and abrupt military deployment to safeguard the mining site makes one wonder if the government has mistaken gold for the philosopher's stone...