UGANDA

NORTHERN CONFLICTS
in Zaire and southern Sudan. 234 After Museveni seized power in 1986, the displaced
West Nilers returned to the region to find that other people had encroached on
and even sold off much of their land. The resulting land conflicts were further
exacerbated in the same year by an influx of over 100,000 Sudanese refugees 235
escaping violence perpetrated by the Sudanese army as well as the SPLM. Fighting for
the re-instatement of Amin, several insurgency groups operated in the area from 1986-
2002. These included most notably the Uganda National Rescue Front I (1980-1985),
the West Nile Bank Front (1995-1998), and the Uganda National Rescue Front II (1996-
2002). This further contributed to widespread destruction of property and land. The
Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency in the adjacent Acholi region (1986 – 2006)
further affected the West Nile region, causing displacement and destruction of property,
which in turn further heightened the incidence of land disputes. Specifically, an increase
in land conflict has occurred in areas bordering the Acholi region, such as Bibya, Apaa,
Pagirinya and Elegu. 236
In Adjumani district in particular there has been a protracted conflict over land
between the Acholi and Madi people since LRA activity caused the displacement
of these groups. In September 2009, these tensions over land led to physical attacks
involving bows, arrows, guns and knives. 237 Furthermore, many ethnic groups in the
region have cross-border ties. Disputes between communities across borders gain
virulence as many return from LRA-induced displacement; in Elegu, Madi groups
living in South Sudan have sold off land belonging to their Ugandan counterparts
while they were housed in Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps during the LRA
insurgency. Further, national border conflicts between Uganda and South Sudan have
developed into a real security threat, as large parts of Moyo district are claimed by
the South Sudanese. These tensions have resulted in several clashes over border
demarcation and grazing land, further fuelling land disputes in the wider area. 238
This situation has been exacerbated by perceived land grabbing and the unregulated
sale of land. 239 In Arua district, residents are greatly disturbed by what is locally
termed the ‘Big Man in the Forest’ conflict (2011 – present), as it is alleged that
Museveni’s cousin, General Salim Saleh, has illegally occupied Biafra Forest Reserve
for private economic gain. 240 Additionally, the continuous creation of new districts by
the government - Yumbe and Koboko districts were created in 2001, Maracha-Terego
district in 2006 and Zombo district in 2009 – has triggered great suspicion and fuelled
further disputes over land ownership and boundaries. 241 Participants clearly identified
land ownership disputes to be of utmost concern in the West Nile region as they
often “result in criminal offences such as arson, criminal trespass and murder”. 242 Land
234 Gersony, R. (1997) The anguish of Northern Uganda, USAID [Internet], August. Available from: [Accessed 28 May 2014]
235 Neuner, F. (2003) Epidemiology and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder in West Nile populations
of Sudan and Uganda. PhD dissertation, University of Konstanz, pp. 54
236 Research conducted in Adjumani District
237 Ibid
238 Research conducted in Arua and Adjumani Districts
239 Ibid
240 Research conducted in Arua District
241 Ibid
242 Refugee Law Project (2007) Partial justice: Formal and informal justice mechanisms in post-conflict West
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