Six dead, 11 injured in ongoing Apaa land clashes

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Summary:

• Unknown assailants have killed at least six people and injured 11 in separate attacks in the contested Apaa Township, escalating tensions in the long-standing land disputes between the Acholi and Madi communities.

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Adjumani District | THE BLACK EXAMINER | Unknown assailants have carried out separate attacks in the disputed Apaa Township, claimed by both Adjumani and Amuru districts, resulting in the confirmed deaths of at least six individuals and severe injuries to 11 others. The incidents occurred between Thursday and Saturday in the parishes of Oyanga, Luru, and Acholi Ber in Itirikwa Sub-county, Adjumani district, according to information obtained by URN.

Security reports indicate that three of the deceased individuals are from central Uganda, while the other three are local farmers of Madi origin. The identities of the victims were not available at the time of reporting. Charles Okoya, the LCI Chairperson of Apaa Township, reported that the assailants used machetes, bows, and arrows in their attacks.

The attacks resulted in one person being killed on Saturday in Luru Parish, with the body burned beyond recognition. Another individual was killed on Friday in Rwot Romo village. The identities of the deceased from central Uganda remain unknown. Three Madi-origin farmers were killed between Thursday and Friday in Acholi Ber parish, and transporting their bodies has proven difficult due to ongoing insecurity.

Additionally, 11 people sustained severe injuries and are receiving medical treatment in Amuru and Adjumani districts. The figures could not be independently verified at the time of the report.

Peter Taban Data, the Adjuman Resident District Commissioner, confirmed the attacks and stated that two people were still missing. He reported that makeshift structures and grass-thatched huts were destroyed in Zoka Central Forest Reserve by unidentified arsonists. The army has been deployed to enhance security, and an investigation is underway to understand the motives behind the attacks.

Community members in neighboring villages affected by the attacks have experienced panic, leading many to flee their homes. Calls have been made for increased army deployment to ensure the safety of lives and properties.

State Minister for Northern Uganda Rehabilitation Grace Freedom Kwiyucwiny emphasized the need to resolve land conflicts peacefully. The Fourth Infantry Division Commander, Brig. Michael Kabango, visited the disputed area and met with affected individuals and local leaders.

These attacks come three months after unknown assailants killed four people in Te-Okono village between Acholi ber and Punu dyang Parishes. Since 2012, more than 30 people have reportedly been killed in separate attacks on the disputed Apaa land, stemming from conflicts dating back to the government’s forceful eviction of locals in 2012.

Efforts by various authorities to quell tensions between the Acholi and Madi communities have been unsuccessful. In August of the current year, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni commissioned the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Apaa land conflicts, headed by retired Chief Justice Bart Katureebe, as a last resort to address the ongoing land disputes. However, the commission has yet to commence its work.