Land conflicts in northern uganda utouch 2011 publication
1. LAND CONFLICT IN NORTHERN UGANDA.
Land conflict is refered to as the rivalry or a dispute between two or more people
struggling over ownership of a given pieace of land e.g. family members, clans,
regions,etc that is to say pader and lira , akwang and padibe.
CAUSES OF LAND CONFLICTS IN NORTHERN UGANDA.
Land conflicts in northern Uganda are as a result of the following.
1)WAR….—this is because most of the people in northern Uganda have been leaving in
camps for over 20 years due to LRA war and now there is peace and going back to their
land finding the elders who new the land demarcation have died leading to rivalries.
2) Unclear land demarcation that where not passed by the elders to their sons or young
ones leading to land conflicts e.g. the struggle of AMIDA SUB COUNTY
HEADQUATERS land.
3) Another cause of land conflict is self interest e.g. the Jonam and nwoya struggling for
the land that was extended by Dr ID Amins regime.
4)Corruption is a nother cause of land conflict in northern Uganda e.g. the sending of the
presidents deligates to amuro district for land to plant sugarcane so this has lead to a lot
of misunderstanding between people leaving in that area.
5) Ressetlement of people for the case of bududa incidence, idp camp settlers in northern
Uganda has lead to land wrangles when they went back to their original land.
6) The unclear land policies e.g. the land policy of the 1995 constitution stated that land
was to be bought by an individual using the sub county chiefs, district leaders compaired
to today where people buy land trough one on one purchase which later leads to
wrangles.
7) Extended families:…in that an uncle takes the initiative of keeping the nephew in his
home then after he has grown up and he feels to build then he is a allowed he then stays
for years and starts claiming the land is his since the ACHOLI culture states that land is
supposed to be given to nephew if he grew up with the uncles but this later leads to
serious wrangles.
EFFECTS OF LAND CONFLICT IN NORTHERN UGANDA.
The effects of land conflicts are as follows bellow
It has lead to enemity or general hatred a mongest families, clans and communities.
It has lead to loss of lives and properties of the people involved.
2. It has also lead to the violation of human rights in that put a nephew grows in a
particular family then after he is denied land hence an effect.
It has lead to imprisonment, personalities involved are prosecuted and charged in the
courts of law.
It has also lead to law crop production in that if the court of law is still under taking
the ways to solve the case leading to idlelation of land .
Land conflict has lead to practice of witchcraftcy in that when one is bewitched he or
she either evacuates the land or dies.
It has lead to violence among communities.
It has lead to law infrastructural development e.g. the transfer of kit gum air field to
padol in bagere side but the owners of land have told the town council to resettle them
in the present air field.
How ever there are some positive effects of land conflicts in northern
Uganda.
Malicious removal of land is avoided e.g. Amuro land for planting of sugar but rivals
arised.
It has lead to little increase of knowledge on land policies e.g. the young ones who
feel to sell land today consult the elders with fear of imprisonmet.
THE SOLUTIONS TO LAND CONFLICT IN NORTHERN UGANDA.
As an individual e.g. afather in a family should distribute the land to the sons equally
in case of any wrangle between them.
Mass sencetisation of the communities should be taken to justify the local people e.g.
by use of press, media, drama and so on.
Civic education should be carried out by the government to find how best it can be
done.
Conflict management through involving religious leaders , law enforcement organs .
The government should introduce the bodies to handle land issues e.g. the current
land tribunion is not clearly used so it needs to revived for good judgment.
In conclusion the land wrangles in northern Uganda were as a result of the LRA WAR
which has lead to some challenges that have realy affected the region such as High level
if illiteracy, violation of human rights, gender based violence hence as the major leading
effect of land conflict in northern Uganda.
Thanks
Yours
Okongo alonsio
The secretary peace conference Team
AMREF/U-TOUCH Kitgum