Alur Kingdom, Zombo district initiate mediation as ministry moves to restore encroached forest reserve

ZOMBO, September 28, 2026 — The King of Alur Kingdom, Phillip Olarker Rauni III, and Zombo district LCV Chairperson James Uyullu Oruna have initiated a mediation process as the Ministry of Water and Environment [MoWE] embarks on restoring a central forest reserve in Yill village, Anyola parish, Atyak Subcounty, Zombo district.

Rauni III, Prime Minister Prince Lawrence Angala Jalsonge, Chairperson of the Royal Council John Oluba and Oruna convened the first mediation meeting recently, following strained relations between community members and officials in the Forestry Department within MoWE.

The contentious areas have reportedly been encroached upon for one and a half decades, according to the district authorities and Alur Kingdom.

The king and the government officials condemned the illegal activities and called for the lawful eviction of people occupying the protected area.

Patrick Oyet, an officer in MoWE’s Forestry Department in charge of the Nebbi-Zombo area, said the ministry is restoring an encroached area covering 2,883 hectares, or about 49 square kilometres, across Zombo, Nebbi and Madi-Okollo districts.

He added that the larger portion of the affected area is situated in Yill village, Anyola parish, Zombo district.

MoWE has earmarked the area for tree planting and a water project intended to supply the Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement and host communities, with support from the World Bank.

The water project targets refugees in Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement in Madi-Okollo district, where the government has identified available water sources.

Community members have encroached on the forest reserve to grow food crops such as beans, cassava, maize, simsim and soybeans, among others. Some have also established homesteads inside the gazetted area, attracted by the fertility of the soil.

The Alur king has been advocating for environmental conservation in the kingdom and is calling for calm to prevail in the area as the kingdom engages the government through dialogue to ensure a harmonious eviction process.

While interacting with government officials, Rauni III said he was committed to resolving the matter amicably with the government rather than allowing it to escalate into conflict or tension.

He asked security officers involved in enforcement operations and routine patrols in the area to coexist peacefully with local communities as he lobbies for engagement between higher-level stakeholders, the government and President Yoweri Museveni.

According to local authorities, 764 households had settled in Yill village, where a school, churches and a mosque had been established and farming activities were flourishing. A total of 351 children were attending school in the area.

However, the occupants were asked to vacate the area last month, leaving a number of them homeless.

Meanwhile, Zombo district LCV Chairperson James Uyullu Oruna said the ministry should work in collaboration with the local governments of Zombo, Nebbi and Madi-Okollo to resolve the eviction programme.

Among other issues, the Alur Kingdom and Zombo district want the government to ensure that clear boundaries are demarcated, pupils are allowed to complete the current school term in the area, farmers are allowed to access crops in their gardens and, above all, that dialogue is used to facilitate a constructive eviction process and the opening of boundaries.

Forest encroachment

Encroachment on forest land in northern Uganda is a serious and growing problem. Vital natural reserves face degradation from illegal logging, charcoal burning and human settlement.

Some of the major central forest reserves include Zoka Central Forest Reserve, which covers about 6,089 hectares and is described as the only natural high forest in northern Uganda.

Agoro-Agu Central Forest Reserve, situated in Lamwo district along the South Sudan border, covers more than 26,000 hectares.

Mt Kei Forest Reserve has also faced encroachment, with planned evictions of thousands of people suspended over disputed and unclear boundary markers.

Parliament’s Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, led by Chairperson Dan Kimosho and Deputy Chairperson Ann Nankabirwa, recently raised concern over the alarming level of degradation in Zoka Central Forest Reserve in Adjumani district following a fact-finding visit to assess the extent of destruction and the challenges facing the protected area.

The visit exposed extensive human activity inside the reserve, including illegal logging, charcoal burning, farming and encroachment. The committee also found makeshift structures reportedly being used by illegal loggers and charcoal dealers, with women and children seen inside some of the settlements.

https://thecooperator.news/farmers-count-losses-as-heatwave-destroys-crops-in-zombo/

Buy your copy of thecooperator magazine from one of our country-wide vending points or an e-copy on emag.thecooperator.news