UGANDA

COMPENDIUM OF CONFLICTS IN UGANDA
Conflict over land between Uganda and neighbouring countries
Cross-border land conflicts between neighbouring communities surfaced primarily in
West Nile and Karamoja. In Arua and Adjumani, participants described violent clashes at
contested border areas in Moyo and Adjumani District between the Sudanese tribes and
the Ugandan local population. In Karamoja tensions regularly flare between the pastoral
communities living on either side of the Kenya-Uganda and Uganda-Sudan borders. Such
land conflicts often revolve around access to and control over agricultural or grazing
land. The violent clashes have caused growing resentment against the South Sudanese
and neighbouring Kenyans amongst the local Ugandan population. In Hoima participants
also commented on clashes between Ugandans and Congolese over resources such as
fish in Lake Albert. 41 With the new oil discoveries, participants expressed fears that land
conflicts will inevitably escalate.
Conflict over land between districts
The policy of decentralisation (for more information see the section ‘Districtisation’)
was said to have contributed to conflicts over land between newly established districts
and the ‘parent’ district from which they were carved out. With new district boundaries
came new identities and conflict fault lines. Examples include the conflicts between
Kitgum and Lamwo Districts, tensions between Gulu and Amuru over Palaro, in Amuru
and Nwoya over Alero, et cetera. In West Nile, participants quoted conflicts over land
41 See below under ‘conflicts over land between ethnic groups’ for the conflicts between originally non-
Ugandans who have settled in Ugandan districts.
34