Museveni to meet Northern Uganda leaders over Apaa land dispute

President Yoweri Museveni is scheduled to meet northern Uganda leaders at State House Entebbe tomorrow, to deliberate over the land clashes in Apaa, Amuru district, which led to death of seven people.

By press time it was not possible to establish further details of the meeting, but the development comes in the wake of futile attempts by the Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda early this week, to mediate between the Acholi and Madi warring factions.

The Acholi leaders led by the Member of Parliament for Kilak County Gilbert Olanya have blamed government for the clashes, saying it has failed to take action against the Madi.

Indeed, Olanya has since accused the First Deputy Prime Minister and MP for East Moyo County in Adjumani district, Gen. Moses Ali, of being ‘the Godfather of all the chaos between the Acholi and the Madi.’

As a sign of their disgruntlement the Acholi, who claim their land between Zooka Bidge and Aliwala is up for grabs by the Madi, threatened to retaliate in two weeks in case the suspects are not arrested.

And yesterday, the suspicious Acholi community gathered at Apaa market square rejected relief food that was sent to them by government, saying that they need an ‘independent chemist’ to determine whether food is safe for consumption “because they think government wants to kill them slowly.”

Sources indicate the Apaa land was gazetted for a ‘South African’ investor after political instability hit the area before 2007.

But when peace returned to the area in 2008, the Acholi people started settling back in their former homesteads only to be told later in 2015 to vacate the area, the sources add.

In subsequent incidents the Acholi people were to protest, with elderly women undressing before cabinet ministers led by then Internal Affairs Minister Gen. Aronda Nyakairima (RIP), who was accompanied by then lands counterpart Daudi Migereko.