By MICHAEL OJOK
GULU- Acholi Paramount Chief Rwot David Onen Acana II has urged government to respect Gulu High court ruling, which stopped further evictions of the persons staying in Apaa.
Residents of Apaa Parish in Amuru District in February 2012 secured a court injunction, restraining the army, police and Uganda Wildlife Authority from evicting them from the area but the evictions have continued.
At a meeting convened by Rwot David Onen Acana II at his palace in Gulu municipality on Sunday resolved that government officials violating the order be held for contempt of court.
The meeting chaired by the Archbishop of Gulu Archdiocese John Baptist Odama condemned the continuous eviction, brutalization and violation of rights of Apaa people formerly in Amuru district.
The meeting also resolved that, the government should respect the court order stopping further eviction issued 15th February 2012 by Gulu high court and government officials violating the order be held for contempt of court.
The meeting zeroed on six resolutions including the withdrawal of UPDF and Uganda wild life rangers from the area in question, attention of the international community is drawn towards the gross human rights violations so that appropriate international law mechanism takes action against the perpetrators of the crimes among others.
Bishop Odama noted that President Museveni should be invited to Apaa as per his earlier communication from his office to visit the area after Easter holidays so that, he gives a directive on the gross human rights and land violations of the land owners in Apaa.
Gulu Woman MP Betty Aol Ocan questioned the continued silence of the paramount chief on the issue of land in Acholi sub region and called for his actions and engagement in protecting the rights and ownership of land in the sub region.
Richard Jomeo, an activist working with Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE) expressed optimism that the resolutions reached in the meeting shall be implemented and a joint meeting held in Apaa trading center soon so that the human rights violations in the area are stopped.
Retired former lawyer justice Galdino Okello said the Court injunction given by Gulu High Court should be implemented and that government agencies operating in the area in question withdraw.
More than 12 people were killed in attacks and scores injured and displaced with the latest being Okello Python who was killed in March this year by a UPDF soldier during the forceful eviction of the locals in the over 20 square kilometers of land located in a contested wildlife reserve gazetted in 2002.