Government, Acholi leaders meet to end Apaa land conflict

Kampala- Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda on Tuesday convened the much anticipated meeting to resolve the Apaa land conflict but the thorny issue of the boundary demarcation remained unresolved.
The conflict has threatened peace at the border between Amuru and Adjumani districts to a point that residents who are opposed to what they call a ploy to grab their land recently staged a nude protest in front of Cabinet ministers and other government officials.

The residents are backed by Kilak County MP Gilbert Olanya who accuses the government of having a hidden agenda to evict locals from their homes and give land to an ‘investor’. According to the legislator, the investor has already paid money to take over the land.

The meeting, attended by ministers, MPs, district chairpersons, Resident District Commissioners, sub-county chairpersons and security representatives, lasted for seven hours.

It came up with eight resolutions including one on the “need to open up the administrative boundaries between Amuru and Adjumani districts using the 1960 and 1962 maps”, according to a statement from the prime minister’s office.

But when Daily Monitor contacted Mr Olanya, he said they had agreed on a number of issues with Dr Rugunda except that of opening the boundary.

“I personally told the prime minister that the boundary was drawn by the British and we shall not allow it to be changed. If they insist on the boundary demarcation, then the surveyors will only go to show the physical features which the British used. We told them openly that we will not allow any mark stones,” Mr Olanya said.

Dr Rugunda, however, expressed government commitment to ensure that the matter is handled in an amicable manner.

“Government will coordinate practical follow-up steps to ensure the matter is settled once and for all,” Dr Rugunda is quoted in the statement.
Land disputes in Acholi sub-region have become a matter of national concern.

At the weekend, two Members of Parliament escaped lynching over another fight involving more than 6,000 hectares of land in Amuru District.
A group of more than 10 people from one family in Apaa Ogali village, Amuru Sub-county, attempted to lynch Kilak County MP Gilbert Olanya and Amuru District Woman MP Lucy Akello when the two went to mediate the dispute.

The dispute pits the family of the late Yosani Ojwang and an Australian investor on the one side, and the rest of the community on the other.

The resolutions
1. That the land disputes in the area are not and should not be presented as tribal in nature.
2.They committed themselves to work together to build trust and confidence among and between the people of the districts of Amuru and Adjumani with a view to promoting reconciliation through dialogue.
3. To desist from using inflammatory language that incites the public.
4. They also committed themselves to desist from politicising the land disputes.
5. That there should be transparency in the process of acquisition of land by government or investors.
6. There is need to open up the administrative boundaries between Amuru and Adjumani districts using the 1960 and 1962 maps.
7. That the rights of the people to their land will not be affected by the opening up of the boundaries.
8. That there is need for opening up of the boundaries of East Madi Wildlife Reserve.

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