Uganda: UPDF Officers Linked to Seizure of Acholi Land
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The Monitor (Kampala)
June 28, 2006
Posted to the web June 27, 2006
Posted to the web June 27, 2006
Tabu Butagira
Kampala
Kampala
SENIOR military officers are reported to be taking advantage of the institutional breakdown
in the LRA-infested Acholi sub region to manipulate peasants and grab their fertile land.
The Gulu LC5 Chairman, Mr Nobert Mao, said on Monday that the "arrogant and indifferent" attitude of the UPDF commanders was hurting the victims of the prolonged banditry.
"Our people are suffering double victimisation, they are huddled in underserved camps and now, they have been made serfs in their own motherland by hungry and unscrupulous people," Mao said.
He said over 100 head of cattle belonging to Lt. Col. Kanyesigye were allegedly let loose to destroy rural farmlands and water sources in Paicho and it took his personal intervention to restrain the errant officer.
Mao said the "greedy" practice of grabbing fertile land had been going on for sometime reached the peak last one year.
He named Lamin-Latoo in Nwoya County as one of the
heavily infringed area. Article 237 (3) of the Constitution (Amendment) Act, 2005, vests land in Uganda in the people and can be possessed through customary, freehold, mailo and lease hold.
But Mao said due to the armed insurrection, which has uprooted villagers from their native land, the land committees provided to regulate rural land transaction under section 60 of the 1998 Land Act are not in place.
Daily Monitor has learnt that local leaders met for two days at the residence of the Acholi paramount chief Rwot Achana on June 24-5 and constituted a 15-member ad hoc committee to draft a byelaw to regulate land business in the Acholi sub-region.
"We are directing that the illegal acquisition of land, which is so rampant, must stop forthwith until the three districts of Gulu, Kitgum and Pader come out with a unified land policy," said a press release issued by the leaders on
Monday.
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Mao and his Pader counterpart Peter Odok and Kitgum chairman, John Komakech signed the press
statement.
But Military Spokesman, Maj. Felix Kulayigye, dismissed the accusations.
"That is a lie. We do not intend to illegally take any land in Acholi," Kulayigye said.
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