President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has directed Acholi leaders on Balaalo herdsmen, whom they accuse of alleged land grabbing within the region.
Museveni made the directive during a closed-door meeting with leaders from the Acholi sub region led by the Chief Justice, Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, at State House Entebbe on Wednesday, October 18th, 2023.
In his directive, President Museveni tasked the leaders with gathering facts about individual Balaalo herdsmen accused of grabbing land to aid his intervention to resolve the dispute.
The president promised the leaders that the issue would be solved by harmonizing the relationship between the Acholi people and the herdsmen.
“I have extended the deadline of implementation of my Executive Order No. 3 which I issued on 19th May, 2023, to 15th November, 2023. Within this period, I will visit the Acholi sub-region and meet both sides together to agree on a way forward.What you are talking about is very easy. You give me factual examples of the crimes being committed so that I have a place to move in,” said President Museveni.
Samuel Odonga Otta, former Aruu County MP, asked President Museveni early this week to ensure that Balaalo herdsmen are evicted from the region, describing their stay in Acholi land as sensitive.
According to Odonga Otto, the continued stay of Balaalo in Acholi land is brewing tension among local people.
The Acholi leaders reported to the President that some Balaalo were using the names of top officials in the government to commit crimes like grabbing land and destroying the crops of the locals, among other forms of unlawful acts.
Faruk Kirunda, the Deputy Press Secretary to the President, said the leaders also discussed a wide range of issues regarding the recent Presidential Executive Order No. 3 that addressed, among others, the issue of Balaalo ownership of land in the Acholi sub-region.
On May 19, 2023, President Museveni issued an executive order following his regional tour, in which he promised to deal with errant and undisciplined Balaalo herdsmen.
In the order, H.E., the President, banned all Balaalo from Northern Uganda. The Balaalo were to leave the North by the end of June this year, but this was deferred to September 30th.
However, President Museveni again extended the implementation of the order to October 20, 2023, in order to give him time to study new reports about the Balaalo herdsmen operations in the region. The extension ends today.
The meeting was also attended by the Minister of Relief, Disaster Preparedness, and Refugees, Hilary Onek, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (International Affairs), Henry Okello Oryem, Minister of State for Economic Monitoring, Beatrice Akello Akori, Bardege-Layibi Division MP Martin Ojara Mapenduzi, Kilak County MP Anthony Akol, and opinion and cultural leaders.
