Gulu district police commander Odoch has revealed that, eight out of ten murder cases reported in Gulu central police station are results of land conflict.

Addressing residents of Lalogi –Paicho border  during  Community Dialogue Meeting organized by the District  Reconciliation and Peace team at Bull-Kur Village, the DPC said the statistic at the Police indicate that most murder cases stem from land disputes because peoples have resorted to violence  to solve land disputes between family members.

He added that land conflicts have resulted in the loss of livestock, increased arson cases, displacement of some families and presence of large chunks of idle land due to court injunctions.

Odoch advised residents to always use three vital tools to solve disputes in their community: the Eye to see problems, Ear to ear sources of problem, and Mouth to inform the leaders about potential sources of disputes.

Odoch concluded by sounding a warning to the resident that the police will not sit and watch acts of violence happening as was the case in Ongako sub county where two families are on the run due to land wrangles that left many huts burnt down to ashes.

In a related case, the district speaker Okello Douglas Okao told the resident to remain calm as the district is planning to use GPS (Global Point System) to clarify on the Paicho-Lalogi Border.

Meanwhile, Joyce Alima the woman youth representative and deputy speaker in Gulu District Local Government cautioned youths about their involvement in land disputes.

While responding to questions raised by Kilama Caesar a resident of Larwodo village in Lalogi, Alima said she is very disappointed by the actions of youths who are at the centre of land disputes in the region.

Alima said that youths should avoid being wrongly advised by some elders because they it is them that end up in police cells and eventually prison, wasting their valuable time which they could have engages in productive activities.

On alcohol consumption, Alima said the prevailing peace has brought excessive leisure time leaving many youths drunk twenty- four-seven with little agricultural work.

She challenged the youth that the transformation of the war ravaged region is entirely the responsibility of the youth since they are the bridge to the next generation.