Police foil MPs’ demonstration over Apaa land

Police in Gulu on Monday foiled a demonstration staged by Acholi MPs under their umbrella Acholi Parliamentary Group (APG).
The demonstration by MPs who were armed with placards written on ‘War Against Acholi has not ended yet', ‘Leave Apaa land to the historical owners’ follows last month’s attacks on Acholi community in Apaa parish in which at least 2,100 people were displaced and sought refuge in Goro B and Juka villages.

There has been a land dispute between Madi and Acholi ethnic groups since 2012 over ownership of Apaa land estimated to be 40 square miles.
Amuru Woman MP Lucy Akello told Daily Monitor after a failed demonstration that the land conflict needs to be resolved urgently before it escalates further.

“We want the government to listen to our plea. We cannot watch when our people are being robbed of what is meant to be theirs and their relatives’ dead bodies being exhumed from their graves,’’ she said.
She accused the government of being silent on the matter and instead beefed up security than resolving the long standing conflict.
“We are demonstrating peacefully in solidarity with our people and we wonder why we have been stopped by police,’’ she said.
Kilak South MP Gilbert Olanya, accused government of siding with the Madi community instead of resolving the conflict.

“The government is looking at people of Apaa as useless and they can grab their land and do anything with impunity. We shall not allow that. This is our land and we shall fight for it for generation and generation to come and if they want to kill us; let them do so,” he said.
He also accused President Museveni of giving orders to evict Acholi community living in Apaa.
“The President came and gave orders for the resolutions of the conflict but now he is the one giving orders to kill the people of Acholi. Enough is enough,” Mr Olanya said./

Kilak North MP, Mr Anthony Akol said they have failed to resolve the conflict through parliament and therefore peaceful demonstrations is the only thing left.

“We have tried through Parliament and nothing is being done yet our people are dying of measles and other diseases simply because access to medication has been blocked with impunity,” Mr Akol said.
Aruu North MP Mr Odongo Otto, said the demonstration will continue in all the districts of Acholi and Lango sub regions until the government listens to the plight of the people of Apaa.

Aswa region Police PRO, Jimmy Patrick Okema told Daily Monitor that the MPs were blocked because they did not communicate to police about their plans officially.
“It was an illegal demonstration that we could not allow to be carried out,’’ he said.
He said one person identified as John Bosco Uhuru has been arrested and will be charged with inciting violence and holding an illegal demonstration.
Last week, Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga, directed Office of the Prime Minister to ‘immediately’ support the displaced people with food aid and shelter.

“Office of the prime minister is directed to go and support the people who are displaced who have no food and probably have no shelter, this is urgent. I also direct that Ministry of internal Affairs ensures that there is security and those injured be treated,” Ms Kadaga directed.
In a bid to forge an end to the Apaa land conflict, in August last year, President Museveni called for formation of an eight member committee from both the Adjumani and Acholi leaders headed by Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda to dialogue on the matter.
The last mediation meeting chaired by Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda between Acholi and Madi leaders in December did not yield any fruit although it called for an end to evictions.

In October 2017, Local Government Minister Tom Butime, officially handed over Apaa to Adjumani District officials.
In April 2015, angry women living on the disputed Apaa land undressed before then Minister for Lands Daudi Migereko and former Internal Affairs minister late Gen Aronda Nyakairima who had visited Apaa to kick start process of demarcating the land in question.

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