Joseph Onegiu, the Labala Parish Vice Chairperson revealed that the suspects had been operating illegal roadblocks for some time, extorting money from illegal dealers.
In 2017, the government surveyed the land and compensated the original landowners to pave the way for the proposed plantation of sugarcane and the establishment of a sugar factory by Madhavani Sugar Factory.
Amuru Resident District Commissioner, Stephen Odong Latek told Uganda Radio Network in an interview Monday that six trucks and a lorry carrying the charcoal were impounded in the operation that kicked off last week.
Drani claims that he has obtained information that NFA personnel deployed in the area are offering protection to dealers who come from as far as Rwanda, Congo, and parts of central Uganda to cut trees from Zoka forest, which is the country`s only tropical rainforest.
Wilfred Oyoo, a taxi driver plying Atiak-Nimule road, says that close to 100 people whose homes were flooded had sought refuge by the roadside on Thursday morning. Oyoo says there is a likelihood that the water level may rise in the coming days with the continuation of heavy rains being registered in the region.
George William Omony, the Manager of Forecasting Services in UNMA told URN over the weekend that heavy rainfalls in Amuru, Nwoya, and Gulu Districts are expected to see a rise in the water levels of river Ayugi and river Unyama
The area, known as one of the leading trading areas between Uganda and South Sudan, experiences flash floods during the rainy season, and whenever River Unyama, the Blue Nile`s tributary burst its banks. The floods have reportedly killed 10 people and destroyed tonnes of merchandise over the last five years.
Kenneth Okot, the Chairman of Atiak Town Council in Amuru District told URN that the animals have become a burden to the district authorities since they have to spend money on feeding and guarding them.
The chairpersons include Kenneth Okot of Atiak Town Council, Samuel AKera of Atiak Sub County, and Peter Lukwiya of Opara Sub County. They were arrested by the police on Friday on allegations of arson and malicious damage, following an operation they conducted against illegal charcoal dealers in the area.
They are accused of torching seven makeshift huts, burning 240 bags of stacked charcoal and hundreds of heaps of piled charcoal logs, killing poultry, damaging two solar panels and clothes belonging to Michael Okema Opilo the former Chairperson for Elegu Town council.
The operation which was conducted at Ogom Raa and Tee-Got parishes in Okidi Village was led by the Environmental Police Protection Unit. Hundreds of temporary structures, piles of logs for burning, and kilns of already burning charcoal were destroyed.
William Latim Alex, the headteacher of the school, says that the renovation of the 4-classroom block will cost Shillings 99.5 million while the 2-classroom block will cost them Shillings 50 million, according to the quotation they received.
In a letter dated 27th September this year, Otto claims that in July this year, he gave the Town Council the money to construct the road to his tourism site, to improve access to social services and open opportunities for other tourism investors, but that the road was never opened due to "bad local politics, irredentism and negative attitudes" among others.
Mahmood Abdi, the Director of Agriculture and Plantation, Attiak Sugar Factory which sits along River Unyama says that they intend to construct irrigation schemes and water dams along the river to mitigate flooding in Elegu Township and the factory as well as to secure water for the factory`s sugarcane plantation in all seasons.
In Paibona Sub County in Gulu district, Richard Watmon the LC3 Chairperson told URN that more than 100 herdsmen who are non-natives of the area have pitched camp in Ayweri, Akoo, Tugu Lwala purportedly to graze cattle.
In Okidi North and East Villages in Attiak Sub County in Amuru district, more than 100 acres of Shea nut trees have been cut down by the charcoal dealers.
The team impounded over seven hundred bags of charcoal from the site and confiscated a number of rudimentary tools used by the dealers to cut and burn trees for charcoal burning and timber.
