Gulu City
Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces have strongly refuted the allegations made on online media TND news which ran on 9th March 2024 as its top story, “Security laxity blamed as 200 die in Acholi-Madi tribal clashes in Apaa.
The news agency quoting the Chairperson L C 5 Amuru district Hon Michael Lakony confirmed in an interview with a writer that the mayhem caused in Apaa is as a result of “Security laxity”.
In a letter dated March 13th 2024 on a response to security laxity, the 4th Division Public Information Officer Capt. Kato Ahmad Hassan said Hon Lakony’s lamentation was baseless and with no clarity but with the intention to drag the joint forces as parties to the tribal conflict insinuating that the forces support the Madi against the Acholi in Amuru and to water down efforts of the forces in ensuring that sanity and calmness prevails in the general areas of Amuru and Adjumani that holds Zoka, Apaa and Pakele sub-county.
“ To clarify on the false allegation over the security situation in these areas, the Joint Forces of Uganda Police(FFPU) and the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces were last year deployed in Zoka and Apaa- a small area were the center of the conflict was”, Kato said.
He further said, clashes between the two communities have been greatly minimized due to the massive deployment of their security personnel’s along their mobility corridors which both communities could use to cause attacks on each other.
According to Kato, the attacks and killings of last year and early this year were registered 30-50km West of Apaa towards the Nile and 15km North East of Apaa in Pakele sub-county, an area were the Acholi and Madi community have peacefully lived in existence since 1970’s to date but not Apaa as always reported.
He further says, the joint forces have equally deployed in the general areas of Pakele Sub County to help curb the situation respectively.
He however blames politicians of generalizing the entire region of Adjumani as Apaa so as to fulfill their selfish interest best known to them although Apaa in itself is safe.
“We therefore warn the politicians to desist from negatively influencing and inciting the innocent peace loving communities of Acholi and Madi into the bloody clashes”, He warned.
In an additional measure to the existing security on the ground, they have advised communities to desist from opening new settlements of the communities that are isolated from each others for their own safety.
“We advise both communities to stop the opening of new fields away from our known established defences for their own safety given the challenging pattern of settlements of the communities where they live in isolated homes, distant from each other making it hard to deploy forces for each home stead”, He advised.
He revealed that the forces have been conducting patrols and periodic relief of their forces to ensure that security service delivery is not bolstered or compromised for some reason.
He further revealed that the Joint forces have kick started investigations on prominent known leaders from both communities who have been behind the mobilization of the violent youths and arming them with bows and arrows to commit violence.
“It has also come to our attention that the same leaders have been awarding and illegally selling cheap land in these areas after expulsion of its occupants from their lands. Soon, their networks will be dismantled”, He said.
On the contrary, the UPDF is tirelessly working jointly with other security forces led by the UPF to restored normalcy in Adjumani and Amuru general areas, Kato further revealed.
He appealed to the community to remain calm as the joint forces are working hard to apprehend perpetrators and bring them to account so that law and order is maintained and the UPDF still remains committed in cooperating with other security agency’s to ensure that the enemies of peace are defeated.
