Residents of Omiya Pacwa sub-county in Agago district have called for urgent action to end repeated destruction of crops by elephants and resolve a long-running dispute over wildlife conservation boundaries.

The residents, who say they have suffered losses for several years, made the appeal during a community meeting held on September 22, 2026, attended by local leaders, Members of Parliament, security officials and the Minister of State for Northern Uganda, Beatrice Akello Akori.

The meeting, held in Omiya Pacwa, brought together residents from Lomoi, Layita and Lojim villages, as well as Lakwa parish, to discuss the increasing conflict between communities and elephants and concerns over the status of land said to fall within a wildlife conservation area.

The mood at the meeting turned emotional as several residents broke down while narrating how elephants have repeatedly invaded their gardens, destroying crops and threatening household livelihoods.

The meeting was organised by Akello Beatrice Akori, the State Minister for Northern Uganda, who is also the Agago District Woman Member of Parliament, together with Agago North MP Benson Lugwar.

Omiya Pacwa sub-county LC3 chairperson Quinto Obita said residents had reached a breaking point because of the repeated destruction of their crops.

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Obita appealed to Akello Beatrice Akori, the State Minister for Northern Uganda, to ask President Yoweri Museveni to visit Omiya Pacwa and witness the situation on the ground.

He said residents wanted a lasting solution rather than temporary interventions whenever elephants entered their gardens.

The residents also questioned the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) over claims that a large portion of land in Omiya Pacwa falls within a wildlife conservation area.

Christopher Oryem, the LC3 chairperson of Namukora sub-county in neighbouring Kitgum district, said communities along the Kitgum-Agago border had repeatedly suffered crop destruction and other problems caused by elephants.

Oryem called for UWA and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) to clearly explain the status of the disputed land and whether residents were living within a legally established game reserve or other protected area.

He also called for transparency in resolving the boundary dispute. Oryem warned that continued destruction of crops could increase tensions between communities and wildlife authorities if a lasting solution was not found.

Sector Intelligence Officer Gabriel Otuku Tipu, who operates with UPDF teams covering Kitgum, Lamwo, Agago and parts of Abim, said security personnel were working to drive elephants away from communities and back towards protected areas.

Otuku said: “I would continue supporting efforts to protect residents from elephant incursions.” He, however, asked the minister and other leaders to support the construction and improvement of security roads to ease the movement of teams responding to wildlife emergencies.

Agago North MP Benson Lugwar said the dispute over the wildlife conservation area dates back to 2015, when a meeting was held to discuss the issue.

Lugwar questioned whether residents of Agago were adequately represented among the people who participated in or signed the agreement reached at the time.

He said the land was later titled on October 24, 2018, covering areas stretching from parts of Orom and Omiya Pacwa to Paimol. Lugwar further claimed that the titles were issued to UWA and linked the land to Karenga, raising concerns among communities in Agago.

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He said the matter was discussed in July 2026 during a meeting between residents and the Parliamentary Committee on Lands and the Parliamentary Committee on Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities in Orom sub-county.

According to Lugwar, the committees reached resolutions calling for UWA to withdraw from the affected areas and for residents to be considered for compensation for destruction caused by wildlife before further action is taken.

The claims about the disputed land and the parliamentary resolutions could not be independently verified from the information provided.

Minister Akello Beatrice Akori said she was concerned about the challenges facing residents of Omiya Pacwa, particularly the destruction of crops by elephants.

She said human-wildlife conflict was not unique to Agago and that communities in neighbouring Pader district were also affected. Akori said she had directed relevant teams to visit the affected areas, document the damage caused by elephants and compile information that could support consideration of compensation.

On the disputed land, the minister said UWA should provide clarification on the contested titles and boundaries. She questioned why land in Agago was being associated with Karenga, given the geographical separation between the two districts.

Akori urged residents to continue using their land as the government works to resolve the dispute. She said the concerns raised by the community needed to be addressed through proper documentation, engagement with relevant government agencies and a clear resolution of the wildlife boundary question.