100 families displaced over land row
May 16, 2010
FIVE people have been injured and over 120 families have fled their homes following two days of tribal clashes over land near the Arua-Nebbi district border.
By Dradenya Amazia
FIVE people have been injured and over 120 families have fled their homes following two days of tribal clashes over land near the Arua-Nebbi district border.
The Police have detained seven people in connection with the clashes between the Madi and Alur.
The acting Arua district criminal investigations boss, Christopher Obia, said on Friday the suspects (all Alur) were involved in assault and malicious damage.
“Among the arrested are UPDF deserters who were found destroying homes and gardens of the Madi people.
“The two tribes have for two days (Wednesday and Thursday) been fighting and destroying property over ownership of a strip of land,†Obia explained.
Grism Akenda, the LCI chairman of Pera village in Okollo sub-county, the area of contention, said they were attacked by Alur on Wednesday morning and the skirmishes continued to Thursday.
“The attackers injured three people, who are admitted in Okollo health centre III. They also arrested and took two of our elders to Nebbi district headquarters,†he said.
Akenda claimed that after the incident, the attackers withdrew but resurfaced on Thursday morning armed with arrows, pangas and machetes, threatening to kill anyone in their way.
“They also kidnapped two of our elders (Hillion Atabua and Beseri Kokoa). After beating them, they dump them (the elders) at Nebbi Police Station,†he added.
Akenda said most villagers had taken refuge in Anyiribu Primary School and in the neigbouring sub-county of Ofaka.
He blamed the Police for neglecting earlier reports over the impeding attacks. The attackers, he said , came from Pajakwi village, Kalowang parish in Nebbi sub-county.
David Ijoti, a resident of Pera village, said the Alur people are claiming the land belonging to the Madi after selling theirs.
The regional Police spokesperson, Henry Alyang, said the situation had returned to relative calm. He urged the local leaders to urgently resolve the matter to avoid further bloodshed.
FIVE people have been injured and over 120 families have fled their homes following two days of tribal clashes over land near the Arua-Nebbi district border.
The Police have detained seven people in connection with the clashes between the Madi and Alur.
The acting Arua district criminal investigations boss, Christopher Obia, said on Friday the suspects (all Alur) were involved in assault and malicious damage.
“Among the arrested are UPDF deserters who were found destroying homes and gardens of the Madi people.
“The two tribes have for two days (Wednesday and Thursday) been fighting and destroying property over ownership of a strip of land,†Obia explained.
Grism Akenda, the LCI chairman of Pera village in Okollo sub-county, the area of contention, said they were attacked by Alur on Wednesday morning and the skirmishes continued to Thursday.
“The attackers injured three people, who are admitted in Okollo health centre III. They also arrested and took two of our elders to Nebbi district headquarters,†he said.
Akenda claimed that after the incident, the attackers withdrew but resurfaced on Thursday morning armed with arrows, pangas and machetes, threatening to kill anyone in their way.
“They also kidnapped two of our elders (Hillion Atabua and Beseri Kokoa). After beating them, they dump them (the elders) at Nebbi Police Station,†he added.
Akenda said most villagers had taken refuge in Anyiribu Primary School and in the neigbouring sub-county of Ofaka.
He blamed the Police for neglecting earlier reports over the impeding attacks. The attackers, he said , came from Pajakwi village, Kalowang parish in Nebbi sub-county.
David Ijoti, a resident of Pera village, said the Alur people are claiming the land belonging to the Madi after selling theirs.
The regional Police spokesperson, Henry Alyang, said the situation had returned to relative calm. He urged the local leaders to urgently resolve the matter to avoid further bloodshed.