The Adjumani district in northern Uganda is mostly dry and hot. Right now, the main topic of conversation there is the conflict over resources in its cooler and fertile Apaa rainforest area. This is home to the Acholi and Madi tribes, who supply themselves with forest with wood and food. Now, influential people, some of them government officials, have acquired large sections of the country.
More and more investors are pushing into the region and building large quantities of wood of the rainforest. Increasingly, the locals fear for their livelihood. The tense situation has triggered violent conflicts between the two tribes. Dozens of Acholi and Madi were recently killed in an attempt to defend their businesses and homes.
Adding to the uncertainty, last year the National Forestry Administration claimed some areas. Residents are wondering what the government plans to do: claim the land for themselves or resell it to investors known for enforcing relocation without adequate compensation. In addition, Adjumani borders on South Sudan and the many civil war refugees from there add to the pressure on scarce resources.
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