Apaa land dispute committee commences camps in the area

By Our Reporter

13^th June 2019

The new committee appointed by the President to look into the Apaa land dispute is to camp in the area to get a conclusive understanding of the problem.

President Museveni recently appointed Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah and Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda to lead yet another investigation into the contentious Apaa boundary dispute between the Madi and the Acholi in Adjumani and Amuru.

Other members of the committee are General Moses Ali, Minister of Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Hillary Onek, Lands Minister Betty Amongi and Ephriam Kamuntu the Minister for Wildlife, Tourism and Antiquities and Sam Cheptoris the Minister for Water and Environment.

Oulanyah says terms of reference have been drawn that will guide them in a camp for days in Zoka C which was not looked at in the initial committee, guided by experts in regards to the Apaa conflict.

Among other things, the committee hopes to look at the issues of the concessions given to one investor Bruce Martin, Zoka C, issues for compensation of people killed, and items lost among others.

Oulanyah says they will also travel to London to extract the original colonial maps that should place the exact location of Apaa and East Madi game reserve.

The new committee was set up at the backdrop of a Government directive to evict over 300 residents of Apaa who are allegedly occupying the East Madi Game reserve that was gazetted in 2012 but later in 2015 caused a rift between the Madi and Acholis leading to deaths and injuries to many in multiple attacks and protests.