The current land wrangles in Amuru district and claims that investors want to grab plots of land, have attracted the attention of the Acholi religious leaders.
Johnson Gakumba, the Anglican bishop of Northern diocese says that there is an urgent need to identify peaceful solutions to the problem that he said has lasted for many years.
Gakumba who also doubles as the chairman of the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative, an interfaith organization says that they have received complaints from residents of Lakang, Kololo and Bana villages who alleged that they were afraid of investors who are seeking to grab their land.
The prelate has asked human rights organizations and other partners to intervene in a bid to address the conflict. He explained that a meeting is scheduled to take place next week to respond to the plea of the community.
Members of the community led by Norbert Komakech claim that many state agents claiming to act on behalf of The Madhvani group have been threatening to evict them despite a court injunction that sought to restrain activities on land in the district.
Komakech together with nearly four hundred members of the community have signed a petition asking the relevant authorities to intervene and save them from what they called an unfair eviction from their land.
In 2008, the Gulu high court placed an injunction restraining the Amuru district land board from leasing out land to any investors. The injunction also barred any of the alleged investors who had allegedly acquired land from carrying out any activity on the land in the district.
The injunction arose from a suit filed by Acholi Members of Parliament; Michael Ocula, Concy Aciro and Penytoo David together with two other individuals who Amuru district land board, , Maj Julius Oketta, the Army MP and Christine Atimango, the Amuru district secretary for Land Board.
Also included in the suit is Madhvani though its subsidiary, the Amuru Sugar Works.
The suit alleges that the district land board fraudulently leased out pieces of land at Omee Lujoro village, Pailyec parish in Amuru district to Madvhani and Maj Gen Oketta among others.
Land conflict has remained a major feature in all areas of Acholi sub region where people are just returning to their villages after over two decades of war that forced people into camps away from their homes.
# # #
