UPDF Soldier Killed in Apaa Territory Amid Rising Tensions

April 9, 2025 | Adjumani District, Uganda

A Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) soldier, Private Michael Okodo, has been killed following an attack by armed assailants on April 3, 2025, in the long-contested Apaa territory, located at the border of Obongi and Adjumani districts. Okodo, who was off duty at the time of the attack, was in civilian attire and unarmed, traveling with a fellow soldier after returning from a market in Obongi.

According to security reports, Okodo and his colleague were ambushed by a group of assailants a short distance from Sinyanya landing site. While Okodo was brutally beaten and sustained fatal injuries, his unidentified companion managed to escape unharmed. Okodo was initially hospitalized at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital but succumbed to his injuries on April 4, 2025.

The attack is believed to be a retaliatory strike following a series of violent incidents in Offu village, Ukusijoni sub-county, where two individuals, Mwesigwa and Mohamad Adui, were killed between March 27 and April 3. The assailants, who are suspected to have been locals familiar with the UPDF, likely targeted Okodo and his colleague, thinking they were intelligence officers or collaborators due to their military background.

Peter Taban Data, the Resident District Commissioner of Adjumani, confirmed that locals had reported seeing soldiers in the area during the previous attacks, further fueling suspicion among the assailants.

Peter Taban Data, the Resident District Commissioner of Adjumani

 "They knew they were soldiers because the group that came to kill the other Muhammad were in uniform. So they said they are the same soldiers and they took them to be people who are coming to spy," Taban said.

Maj. Gen. Felix Busizoori, Commander of the Fourth Infantry Division, confirmed that the soldiers were attacked with bows, arrows, spears, and machetes. Okodo, who hailed from Abim District in Karamoja Sub-region, was hacked on the head during the brutal assault. Five key suspects connected to the recent violence have been arrested, with more still being pursued, including suspected ringleaders and instigators of the clashes.

The attack is part of the ongoing conflict surrounding the Apaa land dispute, which has persisted for over a decade. Tensions in the region have been exacerbated by disagreements over administrative boundaries between Adjumani and Amuru districts, land ownership disputes between the Madi and Acholi communities, and forced evictions.

The government insists that parts of the contested land lie within the East Madi Wildlife Reserve and Zoka Central Forest in Adjumani District, further complicating the situation. The land dispute has led to violence and unrest, with military personnel often caught in the crossfire.

Okodo’s death marks a tragic escalation in the conflict, coming after a similar incident in December 2023, when another UPDF soldier, Sergeant Dominic Vudriko Aluma, was killed by an angry mob in Tekwi village after an attempt to forcibly evict locals.

As the investigation into Okodo’s killing continues, questions remain about whether the security forces are doing enough to address the underlying causes of the violence in the Apaa territory, with locals and military personnel alike caught in a dangerous and unresolved dispute.