Adjumani MPs Condemn Kilak North MP Anthony Akol Over Apaa District Proposal

Members of Parliament from Adjumani District have strongly criticised Kilak North MP Anthony Akol for proposing the creation of Apaa District in exchange for joining the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.

The legislators warned that Apaa should not be used as a political bargaining tool for personal or political gain.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Adjumani Town Council, Adjumani Woman MP Jessica Ababiku and Adjumani East County MP James Mamawi also faulted the government for delaying a resolution to the long-standing Apaa land dispute.

Apaa has been at the center of a protracted and often violent conflict between the Acholi and Madi communities in northern Uganda, involving multiple stakeholders, including local communities, the government, and conservation agencies.

The MPs were responding to remarks made by Akol on February 5, 2025, during a meeting in Pabo Town Council, Amuru District.

While addressing the Speaker of Parliament, Akol stated that he was willing to join the NRM if the government degazetted the East Madi Wildlife Reserve for human settlement and created Apaa District to accommodate illegal settlers currently occupying the land.

“My suggestion is for the common good of both the Amuru and Adjumani residents who are settled in Apaa. I am not fighting for any tribe, but I want a win-win situation,” Akol said in a telephone interview.

Adjumani Woman MP Jessica Ababiku emphasised that Apaa was officially designated for conservation by the Adjumani District Council in 2002.

“If the government no longer intends to use Apaa for conservation—land that was offered in good faith by Adjumani District—let them return it to us. We did not give it up because we have excess land,” Ababiku said.

Adjumani East County MP James Mamawi argued that it was inappropriate for an MP from Amuru District to claim authority over land that belongs to Adjumani, as previously affirmed by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni during visits to both districts.

“Why is President Museveni not resolving the Apaa land conflict once and for all when he knows the land rightfully belongs to Adjumani?” Mamawi questioned.

The Acholi community, mainly from Amuru District, claims Apaa as part of their ancestral land, where they have lived for decades. Meanwhile, the Madi community, primarily from Adjumani District, insists that Apaa falls within Adjumani’s administrative boundaries.

Despite several government-led mediation efforts, including those initiated by President Museveni, the conflict remains unresolved. Clashes between the Acholi and Madi communities have resulted in deaths, injuries, and destruction of property.

The Apaa land dispute continues to fuel tensions, with repeated calls for a lasting solution, including clear land demarcation, compensation for affected families, and peaceful negotiations to prevent further bloodshed.