Soldiers fueling Apaa clashes, locals tell UPDF

The Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) 4th Division army commander, Brig Bonny Bamwiseki, has warned officers against engaging in land wrangles and illegal commercial charcoal trade in Apaa, Adjumani District.

Brig Bamwiseki made the statement during a meeting with the officials from the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) headquarters and locals in Goro B Village, Apaa Junction and Zoka C Trading Centre on Tuesday.

The meeting came days after the houses of some locals were burnt in Goro B Village between April 9 and April 15.

During the meetings, locals said the houses were torched by armed criminals. They, however, accused police and army officers of deliberately declining to respond to reports of the attacks.

The locals also claimed security officers were conniving with commercial charcoal dealers and loggers.

Ms Lucy Amony, a resident of Goro B village in Mungula Parish, said the influx of commercial charcoal dealers and land grabbers is fueling the disputes in the area.

 “Politicians are disunited and there is a lot of conflict of interest. These leaders run parallel groups of illegal charcoal dealers from whom they get money and they have security.” Ms Amony said.

 She added: “There are incidences we have reported cases of illegal dealers trespassing into people’s estates and forcefully cutting trees but they are released by police.”

 Mr Victor Otto, a resident of Gaji Village, said he notified soldiers when  his three huts were burnt last week.

“We made alarms yet the army detach is not far away from here, ” he said.

Following the complaints from the community, Brig Bamwiseki ordered security to immediately institute day and night patrols to ensure attacks between the Madi and Acholi communities in Apaa come to an end.

“You are supposed to start patrols immediately, make sure no one is crossing from either side to the next village to attack or disturb others, until when the Commission of Inquiry (yet to be instituted by President Museveni) comes in and a  solution is  given.”

Brig Bamwiseki also said the more than 40,000 residents of  Apaa need impartial security officers.

 “These people (army and police) are compromised and are not doing anything, what can we do? We are going to replace all of them with new ones. This confusion must stop with immediate effect, if it does not, you will all pack up and go and we bring others,” Brig Bamwiseki said.

Lt Col Robert Koch, the Brigade commander in Moyo, told Brig Bamwiseki , “I will work on that. I have already drawn a plan on how to handle it.”

 After the meeting, the UPDF commanding officer in Apaa, Maj Trevor Kibuuka was arrested and driven to the Division headquarters in Gulu City .

 Maj Trevor was allegedly involved in an illegal sale of land to an investor at Goro B Village, according to a source in the UPDF.

 The source added:  “Dozens of houses were burnt last week  so that the locals leave the area to pave way for the investor.”

The Apaa land dispute dates back to 1911 when the colonial government evicted locals, saying tsetse flies  had infested the area.

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