Refugees, host communities fight over livestock

In 60 days, Mr Peter Arape, the refugee welfare officer II for Agojo Refugee Settlement in Ciforo Sub-county, Adjumani District, mediated 14 conflicts between refugees and host communities.
“The conflicts stem from cattle owned by refugees grazing on farmlands of the host communities neighboring the settlements,” Mr Arape said in an interview with Daily Monitor during the commissioning of Ciforo Market in Adjumani District on Tuesday.
He explained: “The refugees believe all the land belongs to the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), so they think their cattle can graze anywhere, even on land planted with crops.”
The Adjumani District Chairman, Mr Ben Anyama, expressed concern that the increasing conflicts could lead to violent clashes between the groups.
He urged the Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness, and Refugees, Mr Hilary Onek, to intervene with urgency.
 “We have many refugees, but I want to highlight the issue of livestock management in the settlements. If conflicts arise between refugees and host communities, it will be due to this problem. Refugee cattle are pushing our people away,” Mr Anyama said.
Citing ongoing disputes in Mungula, Ayilo, and Nyumanzi refugee settlements, Mr Anyama said: "Uncontrolled livestock are destroying the livelihoods of the people. The district council and landowners provided land for refugees to keep livestock, but they continue to buy animals without enough land to accommodate them, creating tensions with the host communities."
He added: "We anticipate a major problem. We’ve mediated several times, but it's not working."
Mr Anyama made these remarks during the commissioning of the Shs1.4 billion Ciforo Market, funded by the UNDP and the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
Mr Stephen Koma, the assistant commissioner for District Inspection at the Ministry of Local Government, recommended that the district convene a security committee with OPM and UNHCR to find a lasting solution.
"If cattle keepers and farmers don’t coexist peacefully, it could escalate. We don’t want that, as Uganda is known for its open-door policy," he said.
Mr Onek assured that the government would source funds to fence off land allocated to refugees for grazing to prevent future conflicts.
“We plan to fence the land for the livestock to ensure the cattle don’t encroach on people’s gardens,” he said.
Mr Peter Taban, the Adjumani's Resident District Commissioner (RDC), noted that refugee livestock numbers are increasing rapidly despite limited grazing space.
“Refugees receive money from relatives abroad to buy livestock,” he said.
Ms Nwanne Vwede-Obahor, the UNDP’s Resident Representative for Uganda, urged OPM and UNHCR to expedite efforts to restore peace between refugees and locals.
“They’ve identified the problem and the solutions, and I’m confident they’ll resolve it,” he said.
Adjumani District hosts 19 refugee settlements, with a 20th recently added in Dzaipi Sub-county for animal keeping.
The Ciforo Market, built under the Uganda Host and Refugee Community Empowerment (UHRCE) project, is expected to boost household incomes for both refugees and host communities while promoting peaceful coexistence.
The UHRCE project, funded by KOICA and UNDP, is being implemented in the districts of Adjumani, Obongi, and Lamwo.
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