Gulu: The Acholi Paramount Chief, Rwot David Onen Acana II, has threatened to walk to Apaa protesting the recent killings and long suffering of the Apaa community. This comes at a time the President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has already sworn in a commission of inquiry into Apaa saga led by Rtd. Justice Chief Bart Katureebe.The purpose of the commission is to investigate and give recommendations on this matter but it seems there is no respect for them by the perpetrators of violence in Apaa land conflict.
According to the Chiefdom Press statement, the Rwot of Acholi and the traditional leader of Madi community together with other local leaders had made a lot of effort to bring peace to Apaa but the atrocities have continued unabated.
It has come to the knowledge of this site that the people of Apaa had been reporting about the signs of looming violence in the recent days but those charged with the security matters ignored there plea to check the situation. The RDC’s of Adjumani and Amuru, police and the Army were said to be informed on the matter including the Minister of Northern Uganda but the voices of those seeking for protection were reportedly ignored resulting to the fatal incidents.
It’s upon the above that the Acholi traditional leader has called upon government to take effective security measures for the people of Apaa as the community waits for the Judicial Commission of Inquiry to begin their work.
“Continued harming of people, destruction of property and taking of life is barbaric and a show of intolerance and impunity on the side of the perpetrators of the Apaa conflict. It makes the people of Acholi and Apaa loose hope in the Commission of Inquiry and government,” said Rwot Acana.
The chiefdom has called for justice for the people of Apaa even if there is going to be an inquiry and immediate cessation of hostilities on the communities of Apaa and also warns those leaders using underhand methods to wreak acts of aggression on the people of Apaa to stop.
It should be noted that several failed attempts by the government to harmoniously end the decade-long conflict have disrupted the livelihoods of the inhabitants who have suffered the burning of the settlements, persistent insecurity, human right violation and interrupted social services in health facilities and schools.
The Minister of State for Internal Affairs, Gen. David Muhoozi, in a statement to Parliament on Apaa in August 2022, implicated the Acholi and Madi political leaders for fueling tribal conflicts in Apaa.
In 2018, President Museveni directed the then Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda to lead a government team to investigate the tensions but to date, the committee findings have never been published despite continued fighting .
In early 2019, the former Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon Rebeca Kadaga sent two select committees to investigate the Apaa land conflict but the tribal clashes have continued.
By the end of 2019, Again President Museveni replaced Dr. Rugunda and appointed the then Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanya to probe the conflict. However, just like the Rugunda committee the Oulanya team investigated the matter but its findings have never been published prompting the Acholi leaders to threaten walking to Parliament with the aggrieved community to protest persistent deadly attacks. This threat compelled President Museveni to summon Acholi leaders on 7th August 2021. During this meeting, Museveni directed security deployment in Apaa to prevent the killings and also promised to institute a Judicial Commission of inquiry on Apaa.