The Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) has initiated the first phase of Operation Harmony, a campaign targeting the removal of unauthorized pastoralist groups from the Acholi and Lango sub-regions.
This operation follows a high-level security meeting at the 5th Infantry Division Headquarters in Acholi Pii, Pader District. The meeting was chaired by Major General Keith Katungi, the 5th Infantry Division Commander, and included district security committee members from Apac and Pader.
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According to Edrin Mawanda, the division’s public information officer, the operation will proceed in multiple phases, initially focusing on areas such as Aswa Ranch, Maruzi Ranch, and Apac Forest.
The first phase, set to last 30 days, involves sensitizing local communities, landowners, leaders, and cattle keepers, urging them to vacate the land voluntarily. The next phase will broaden the operation to cover the entire Acholi and Lango regions.
This initiative aligns with President Museveni’s renewed eviction directive, which allows time for auditing pastoralists who claim to have legally purchased land, fenced their farms, and ensured access to permanent water sources and thus may not be subject to eviction.
To support this process, the President has appointed a committee of 10 lawyers to investigate and verify land ownership claims made by the Balaalo cattle keepers in northern Uganda.
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