Whose land is this? Assessing the land conflict between the Acholi and Jonam tribes in Northern Uganda

Land and resource-based conflicts are leading conflict drivers in Northern Uganda. The region is characterised by a great number of conflict ‘hotspots’, for example, in Purongo sub-county in Nwoya District. There, the Jonam and the Acholi tribes share a history of both peaceful coexistence and violent competition for land. The recent discovery of oil ignited historic conflict legacies and triggered hasty acquisition of land in the area, illegal land sales by non-bonafide owners, and (fatal) violence. Based on a conflict assessment, Saferworld will provide conflict-sensitive technical support to strengthen land governance processes and will advocate for timely intervention in order to prevent the spread of violence and to solve the conflict peacefully.

With its partners in the Advisory Consortium on Conflict Sensitivity – the Refugee Law Project and International Alert – Saferworld works on conflict prevention and conflict-sensitive development in Northern Uganda. The Consortiums’ aim has been to contribute to building a just and sustainable peace in Northern Uganda since the end of the Lord’s Resistance Army’s insurgency in the region.

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“Due to the region’s historical legacies, such as a lack of land demarcation and land ownership documentation, acquiring or selling land in the disputed area is conflict prone to begin with...”