Security forces start forceful eviction of Balaalo from West Nile

Pakwach, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Joint security forces of the Uganda Police and the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) have embarked on forceful eviction of Balaalo herdsmen from the West Nile sub-region.

The exercise which has commenced with Pakwach district that hosts the biggest number of the herdsmen in the sub-region will be rolled out to other districts that host the pastoralists.

Over the years, a number of herdsmen had illegally occupied many hectares of land across the region mainly in districts of Pakwach, Madi Okollo, Terego, Yumbe and Obongi.

In November 2021, President Yoweri Museveni ordered the Balaalo herdsmen to vacate northern Uganda within two months and set out key conditions for the pastoralists to meet or face eviction.

The conditions among others required that all pastoralists fence off their grazing lands, provide private water sources, and avail to local leaders their genuine personal details, land size and location, and land sales agreements.

However, Josephine Angucia, the police spokesperson for West Nile says that the eviction exercise was delayed to give more time for the forces to assess the eviction plans, look for logistical support, and have enough security personnel to aid the eviction exercise.

She further noted that the eviction will be done in a phased manner; starting from the government-owned land, communal and then private land.

According to Angucia, the presence of the herdsmen in the region had become a source of insecurity due to the numerous conflicts with the host community over resources.

Pakwach district chairperson Robert Omito says only less than five out of the close to 100 sites belonging to the pastoralists had fulfilled the president’s directive before the commencement of the exercise.

Meanwhile, Terego Resident District Commissioner Bessie Modesta says that only those herdsmen who fail to meet the stipulated conditions will be evicted.

She however confirmed to URN that out of seven Balaalo herdsmen in the district, only one had fulfilled the necessary requirements while others who have not met the conditions have voluntarily left.

This is not the first time the nomads commonly known as Balaalo have been evicted from West Nile under similar circumstances.

In 2018, thousands of pastoralists were forcefully driven out of Northern Uganda by the Uganda People’s Defence Force soldiers on orders of President Museveni after flouting directives to fence off ‘their’ grazing lands.

There are more than 25,000 head of cattle belonging to the Balaalo in West Nile.

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