Northern Uganda especially the Acholi Sub-region experienced an armed insurgency by the Lord’s Resistance Army of Joseph Kony for nearly 20 years. The insurgency led to massive displacement as most people fled from their homes or were forced into Internally Displaced Camps by the government. even before the insurgency many people in Acholi who served in President Idd Amin’s regime especially in the army fled with their families into exile in fear of reprisals from the subsequent regimes. For the last few years, the families of the Internally Displaced persons and the families of the exiled Amin’s soldiers had started returning to their long-abandoned homes and this led to some land wrangles.
David Drichie was a grandson of Adam Andira Olobi one of the returnees claiming land in Acholi. “The other land measuring 148 acres which is within the range of Peche division that is Vangad Sub-ward that we need our land.” According to Gulu district Chairperson Martin Ojara Mapinduzi who was appearing before the Commission of Inquiry into Land Matters, some former Amin soldiers and their family had begun threatening to evict people from their land they claimed belonged to them. “And threatening to evict hundreds of people, we have a case in Peche division where someone wants to evict over 2,000 people.” “...that the LC5 Chairperson gives unknowingly that our family is his maternal uncles and part of the cousins who have been with him at his paternal homes are the ones settling on the land.” Other included Col. Mark Kodili, Lt. Gen. Amelia Omondo, and the family of Sulaiman Sulu and Abdallah Rajab among others.
The family of one Adam Andira was claiming 148 acres of land currently occupied by IDPs in Peche and 39 acres of land in Barage which was occupied by the army. The Chief of Atiac Richard Santos Apile informed the Commission that there was no free land in Acholi as it had been perceived by some investors. “...will tell you, there is never any free land. What people term as free land are areas which are communal and once you own it communally it doesn’t mean that it is free. We welcome investment but when you come, you have to talk to the local people the owners of the land.” Santos Apile also informed the Commission that South Sudanese were obtaining land in Acholi contrary to the laws of Uganda. He cited a case of a South Sudanese who had sold land in Atiac to Uganda Revenue Authority in total disregard of the laws of Uganda. “This man was registered as a refugee, he was in Adjumani Refugee camp, he went back and he came and tried to settle down and then he started claiming that the land belonged to him.”
Though the Regional CID Commander Wanyama Wilber assured the Commission Police in solving the land conflicts in the region, Justice Bamugemereire accused security official of conniving with private businessmen to grab land in the communities. “80% by categorization all crimes occur as a result of conflicts and disputes originating from land.” “...multiple tight killings have occurred, outright fraud has been discovered, and there is the alleged eviction of communities by a person misusing the armed forces.” President Idd Amin’s soldiers who were exiled and were returning in Acholi Sub-region threatening people of eviction would have to appear before the Commission to defend themselves against the allegations.
