Woman, 95, collapses and dies in Apaa eviction

AMURU.

A 95-year-old woman died after she collapsed while running away from UPDF soldiers and wildlife rangers in the disputed Apaa land, local leaders have reported.
Ventorino Auma, a resident of Acholi-ber Village, reportedly collapsed and died when a joint squad of Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) rangers and soldiers stormed her home as they evicted villagers last Thursday.
The 40-square kilometre land is being claimed by both Amuru and Adjumani district local governments.
UWA rangers backed by Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) soldiers recently began to forcefully evict villagers from the disputed land claiming it is a protected game reserve.
The operation has left hundreds of people homeless and their huts, household items and foodstuffs set on fire.
Mr Nixon Azuma, the production officer in Apaa Parish, told Saturday Monitor that the old woman had attempted to run away from the soldiers who were brutalising the locals.
“The old woman heard of the chaos in the neighbouring area, when she got out, she saw huts burning and when she set her eyes on the soldiers, she tried to run for safety but she collapsed and died shortly,” Mr Azuma said.
He said her body was picked up later in the evening after the soldiers had left the area and it was taken to Alero Sub-county, Nwoya District, where she was laid to rest.
“The old woman died because of the ruthlessness of the government. How can they use force to push out its own citizens from their land? We have other people being peacefully accepted into the country and even apportioned land yet we are instead mistreated like foreigners,” Mr Azuma said.
He said several other residents have been battered by the soldiers in the ongoing eviction.
Maj Telesphor Turyamumanya, the UPDF 4th Division spokesperson, acknowledged the UPDF soldiers, UWA and National Forestry Authority (NFA) officials carried out eviction.
But he quickly added that the eviction was being conducted peacefully.
“The people occupying the area were told earlier to vacate since it’s a game and forest reserve. The soldiers are not doing anything illegal but implementing eviction order,” Maj Turyamumanya said.
But Amuru District Council chairperson Michael Lakony said the forceful eviction is being done with impunity against innocent locals.
Only last month, a man identified as Python Okello of Acholi-ber Village was shot dead by a UPDF soldier when government commenced forcefully evicting locals from the area.