The task force responsible for implementing evictions in Amuru has successfully impounded and evicted 2,233 head of cattle belonging to non-compliant Balaalo (nomadic pastoralists) over the past two and a half months. Stephen Odong Latek, the Amuru Resident District Commissioner (RDC), provided updates on the evictions, revealing that the operation focused on the sub-counties of Atiak and Lakang, where Balaalo concentration is high.
According to Latek, 2,060 cattle have been completely evicted, with 1,367 forcefully removed, and 693 withdrawn willingly, including 240 in the last week alone. An additional 557 cattle were returned to indigenous owners accidentally impounded along with illegal ones, while 300 remain unaccounted for. The ongoing operation, initiated by Presidential Executive Order No. 3 on November 25, 2023, addresses the President’s directive to non-compliant Balaalo to leave northern Uganda by November 24, 2023.
Grace Freedom Kwiyucwiny, the State Minister for Northern Uganda and head of the eviction task force, outlined four main grounds for eviction: possession of a four-strand wire fence, provision of a water trench for animals, maintaining a proportional number of animals to land size, and the exclusion of government-owned land. The recent eviction involved 240 cattle forcefully removed from Lakang Sub-County by a non-compliant pastoralist who transported them to Nakasongola District.
The eviction initiative began following President Museveni’s Executive Order 3 on May 19, 2023, which set a deadline for non-compliant Balaalo to vacate the region. The deadline was initially extended to June 30 and then further extended to November 4 after the President issued a three-week ultimatum during a meeting with cattle keepers in Okidi Parish, Atiak Sub-County, Amuru District.
