The Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) are encountering obstacles in the execution of the Presidential Directive to evict Balaalo herdsmen from Northern Uganda.
Col. Deo Akiiki, UPDF deputy spokesperson, acknowledged the complications arising from bribery, blackmail, and interference in the eviction process.
Despite the challenges, the UPDF remains committed to enforcing the directive issued by President Museveni on November 27.
The implementation committee faces attempts of bribery and blackmail, hindering their efforts.
Col. Akiiki stated that individuals, from small to influential, are interfering with the process, seeking grace periods for non-compliant herdsmen.
The UPDF emphasizes that such grace periods were already granted by the President and should be respected.
The directive permits the stay of herdsmen who adhere to specific guidelines, including fencing their land with four strands of barbed wire and restricting cattle numbers.
Non-compliance results in eviction, with confiscated cattle subject to auction after a three-day notice.
Security deployment, codenamed Operation Harmony, intensifies in Nwoya, Amuru, and Gulu districts of the Acholi sub-region.
Despite these efforts, herdsmen engage in a hide-and-seek situation, hindering progress.
Connivance, failure to meet standards, and legal challenges further complicate the operation.
Successful evictions have been limited, with only five kraals out of 94 inspected found non-compliant, resulting in the confiscation of 540 livestock.