Acholi MPs condemn the arrest of civilians over Balalo eviction

By Christopher Nyeko

Gulu: Members of the Acholi Parliamentary Group (APG), headed by Aol Betty Ocan, the Gulu city woman MP, have condemned the arrest of civilians by UPDF soldiers over unclear circumstances regarding the eviction of Balalo herdsmen from the Acholi subregion.

The condemnations emerge following the arrest of five civilians who were recently handpicked from the Lugore trading center in Owalo sub-county.

The five were arrested while they were mobilizing the communities using the public address system to go to a meeting called by Rwot Abwoch Patrick Adonia of Palaro chiefdom, who was addressing his subjects over Balaalo infiltration in his area of jurisdiction.

The arrested people include Acila Martin, aged 32; Francis Okello, aged 32; Onencan Henry, aged 18; Opwonya Ronald, aged 26; and Ocwee Betty, aged 35. These people were arrested along with a public address system loaded with white pickup vehicle registration number UBN 356M.

MP Aol recently told journalists in a press conference held at NUMEC that on the 23^rd of this month, at around 5 p.m., UPDF officers mounted a road block at the Lugore trading center and arrested five civilians, accusing them of inciting violence against Balalo.

However, recently, our reporter visited the police custody at Bucoro Police, and these detainees revealed that they were arrested and taken to the fourth-division infantry headquarters in Gulu City.

Meanwhile, they suspect were driven away from an Army barracks by UPDF soldiers to the Police CPS in Gulu district following the pressure mounted by the politicians, who were making a number of phone calls to many upper authorities.

During the press conference, the Agago North MP, Okot John Amos, who doubles as secretary general for APG, expressed his dissatisfaction with the UPDF office for arresting people who are non-volatile.

Okot, however, cautions that civilians should be handled by police, not soldiers.

However, when contacted, Maj. Telesphor Turyamanya, the 4^th division army spokesperson, says they were arrested for dismantling fences belonging to Balalo.

Recently, the state minister for northern Uganda, Ms. Grace Freedom Kwiyucwiny, warned that no one should take the law into their own hands to evict Balalo but should leave the eviction of Balalo to government agencies to execute presidential executive order number 3.

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