APAA LAND CONFLICT: PRESIDENT MUSEVENI RE-APPOINTS COMMISSION AFTER 2 YEARS OF FAILURE

President Museveni Exiting Yumbe Boma Grounds on Saturday after addressing thousands of people on Peace Day Celebrations.

By Dramadri Federick

Arua City

President Yoweri Museveni has again appointed for the second time a judiciary commission of Inquiry that failed to resolve the contested Apaa land conflict in 2 years.
 
Museveni who was the chief Guest during the 23 years of peace celebrations in West Nile Region held on 12th April 2025 in Yumbe district under the theme; 23 Years of Peace and Progress: Uniting West Nile for Socio-Economic Transformation, reappointed the Judicial Commission of Inquiry headed by retired Chief Justice Bart Katureebe calling it the best solution to deal with the Apaa land dispute.
 
“The issue of Apaa is an issue of internal border between the Madi’s and the Acholi’s, there’s some problem there and some people are playing games, and that’s why I have appointed a Judicial Commission of Inquiry, be careful with it, people will go jail, whoever is telling lies will be exposed.” Museveni emphasized  
 
On April, 3, 2023, the President appointed the judicial commission of inquiry that took oath to commence work August 2023 meant to be the best medicine to the continued violent land conflict among the people residing in Apaa.
 
According to Museveni, within a year, the commission would have completed its work. However two years later no report was produced by the commission.
 
This delay to resolve the land conflict has reignited the conflict resulting into bloodshed, displacement of people and destructions to property.
 
As per the data from the West Nile Parliamentary group over thirty two (32) people of Madi tribe from Adjumani district have been killed in a span of one month between February and March 2025 in connection with the Apaa Land Conflict while the Acholi parliamentary group documented that So far, 20 people in the area have reportedly lost their lives due to the conflict since 2012, and several were injured. Access to Schools and health services also remain impossible due to the same.
 
Two days ago, Major General Felix Busizoori, the Commander of the UPDF Fourth Infantry Division Gulu, reported that they had rounded up 20 suspected and zeroed on 6 discovered to be the ring leaders including one police officer, the NRM administrator among others who have been mobilizing communities to join the fights.

The Commander further stretch that the Joint security team instituted a 12 hours curfew that runs from 7PM to 7AM is aimed at minimizing movements among the communities that would escalate more attacks.
 
On Tuesday 8th April 2025 west Nile MPs under the West Nile Parliamentary group threatened to boycott the 23 years of peace celebrations if the president fails to act on the Apaa land conflict, a decision reversed without clear answer. However, the president Museveni assures the MPs that the commission is the ideal solution.
 
“I will meet the MPs of Acholi, the MPs of West Nile but the real answer is the judicial commission of inquiry chaired by former Chief Justice Bart Katureebe, there’re principles on how these situations are managed,”
 
Cabinet on February 25, 2019 took decisions to approve a resettlement package of 10 million shillings, 10 bags of cement and 20 iron sheets to each household with a valid national identity card registered in Apaa area between 2Ol3 and 2Ol4, directed that the rest of the households in the reserve without the requirements to be given shs.2 million and vacate the land as the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister Robinna Nabanja takes the lead in the implementation.
 
However upon the Prime Ministers’ declaration, President Museveni in his tour of Acholi sub region in 2021, denounced the declaration saying the status quo be maintained as his team dives into verifications. Later in 2023, the president then appointed the Commission of Inquiry.
 
According to parliament records a total of shs7 billion was approved for the commission to commence its investigations in Apaa area but two years later no work has been done.