AYIVU DIVISION MAYOR ADVOCATES FOR LOCAL COUNCIL LEADERS CAPACITY BUILDING TO RESOLVE LAND DISPUTES AND FOSTER PEACE

His Worship Avutia Malone, the mayor of Ayivu Division during community Barraza in Arua City (Photo by Onzoma Albert)

By Onzoma Albert

Arua City

Ayivu Division Mayor His Worship Malone Avutia is advocating for capacity-building training for Local Council (LC) I and II Chairpersons of Arua City, with support from the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) and the Directorate of Public Prosecutions of Uganda (DPP).

The goal is to address the surge in land-related conflicts, including illegal land registration, trespass, boundary changes, and land-grabbing in Arua and West Nile region. Recent public Barraza held by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) confirmed that land disputes dominate community grievances, overwhelming courts and judicial systems.

Avutia believes that the training will equip grassroots LC I and II leaders with legal knowledge and mediation skills to manage land disputes, social cohesion, and peacebuilding effectively.

“In this country LC’s have just been elected and have since assumed office some of them are completely raw and when you look at the issue of land it starts at that level with LC 1 and 2 chairpersons and the appellant court system starts with LC 2, if resources can allow I want to request if you can as an organization facilitate the staff of the judiciary so that the capacity of LC’s are build and they will be able to handle some the challenges at that level and will reduce the case backlog at court” he said.

Since Local Council courts are the most accessible justice avenues for rural and urban communities, Avutia emphasizes enhancing their capacity with Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and mediation skills. This approach aims to prevent minor disputes from escalating into violence or costly litigation.

Barbra Kilei, Uganda Country Manager of IDLO, acknowledged the request and pledged to support efforts to boost the capacity of LC 1 and II Chairpersons.

“The local council 3 chairpersons in greater Arua are supposed to be trained on the local government Act, their mandates and also how to manage the court that they handle, we will consider the request of mayor and see how we can add local council 1 and 2 chairpersons into the training” she said.

The initiative involves leveraging the regional prosecution networks like the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and regional frameworks to align community peacebuilding with national justice priorities.

In collaboration with local government goals, international organizations like VNG International and IDLO are heavily involved in providing rule-of-law solutions, funding social cohesion action plans, and partnering with agencies such as FIDA Uganda and the West Nile Mediation Center to implement ADR programs. This targeted training aims to enable local leaders to resolve family, customary, and land boundary disputes amicably, reducing the risk of conflicts escalating into violence or lengthy legal battles.

These training efforts focus on community-based dispute resolution, alternative dispute resolution, and managing frequent land conflicts, fostering social cohesion and peace at the grassroots level.

Written by newsroom-radiopacis