Agency
Hundreds of residents in the disputed Apaa township in Itirikwa Subcounty, Adjumani District, have voluntarily handed over several handmade traditional weapons to the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) in a renewed effort to end years of land conflicts between the Acholi and Madi communities.
The weapons were handed over on Tuesday in Apaa Primary school during a ceremony to mark what the army and local leaders say is a gesture signalling fresh commitment to peaceful co-existence.
The weapons surrendered include 146 handheld bows and 247 pieces of a wide range of arrows delivered by residents of Acholi Ber, Alok Ki Raa, Zoka and Punu Dyang villages, where most conflicts were registered in the past.
Maj Gen Busizoori, the Commander of the Fourth Infantry Division, who witnessed the handover of the weapons, said the move sends a strong message of peace and unity, adding that it will scale down years of bloodshed.
The voluntary disarmament witnessed jointly by the leadership of Amuru and Adjumani comes three months after clashes over the disputed boundary of Apaa between the two communities of Madi and the Acholi left two people dead, and two others injured. Apaa has been a flashpoint of violence since 2012, with both the Acholi community in Amuru district and the Madi in Adjumani claiming ownership of the contested land. The government also claims parts of the contested land lie within the Zoka Wildlife Reserve and Zoka Central Forest.
