Balaalo Eviction: Apac, UPDF leadership meet in Pader

Pader, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Leaders from Apac district are holding a crisis meeting with the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) over the continued presence and activities of Balaalo herdsmen in the area, despite President Museveni’s eviction orders. The meeting is taking place today, Thursday, at Acol-pii, the UPDF 5th Division Infantry Headquarters in Pader District.

Those attending the meeting include the Apac Resident District Commissioner (RDC), LCV Chairperson Asante Odongo, District Internal Security Officer (DISO), District Police Commander (DPC), and the District Veterinary Officer (DVO).

This comes after President Museveni issued his second eviction directive in 2025, banning all movement of free-ranging livestock into northern Uganda and criminalizing the practice. The latest directive also calls for a thorough audit to identify cattle keepers who claim to have legitimately bought land, to determine whether they should be allowed to stay.

Asante Odongo, the Apac LCV Chairperson, said residents, particularly in Ibuje Sub-county, have repeatedly raised concerns over Balaalo cattle destroying their crops—unlike in Akokoro Sub-county, where farming is limited.

He added that the animals are overcrowded in Maruzi Ranch, leading them to stray into nearby farms in search of pasture and water. Odongo also noted that the recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease had stalled the eviction efforts, leading to an influx of herdsmen from Acholi into Apac.

The urgency of the meeting was heightened by a recent incident on Tuesday in Abongker village, Tarogali Parish, where locals attacked and injured about 20 heads of cattle found grazing illegally in their gardens. The animals belonged to a man identified as Nzarubara, but were being tended by a herdsman named Mutabazi.

The animals had reportedly destroyed 11 gardens of food crops, sparking outrage among residents. The district security team, UPDF’s 103 Battalion, and local leaders intervened to de-escalate the situation and assess the damage. Some of the cattle were impounded by locals and taken to Ibuje Police Station before being relocated across Kungu Ferry to Masindi Port.

During the meeting, representatives of the Balaalo herdsmen reportedly apologized and offered to pay half of the compensation initially demanded by the locals, arguing that the community had also taken matters into their own hands by harming the animals.

Local residents expressed frustration at the recurring conflict. Odyek Odongo, a resident, said locals had previously been promised grazing land within Maruzi Ranch, but their animals have been consistently restricted from access.

Another resident, Okao, questioned why the actual owners of the Balaalo cattle are never present in the area, leaving herdsmen to deal with rising tensions. He said communities now sleep outside to guard their crops and monitor the impounded animals.

Capt. Edrin Mawanda, the 5th Infantry Division’s Public Information Officer, told journalists that the situation has been brought under control. “Both parties have been calmed,” Mawanda said. A contingent of UPDF soldiers has been deployed to maintain peace and prevent further hostilities, pending the outcome of the meeting.

In May 2023, President Museveni issued Executive Order No. 3 to evict all migrant cattle keepers (Balaalo) from northern Uganda. However, enforcement of the directive has faced several setbacks, and full implementation remains a work in progress.

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