June 2026 · Lobbying & Advocacy
On 30 June 2026, RACI took part in a networking and lobbying meeting at Kolping Hotel, bringing together the Ministry of Lands and members of the Peace Project Partnership (TPP) to discuss land-related conflicts and opportunities for collaboration across Northern Uganda and West Nile.
This meeting was a follow-up to the earlier consultative meeting held with the Ministry on 22 April 2026, where RACI and its partners first raised concerns around land policy awareness and equitable land governance.
The meeting opened with an overview of the TPP, a coalition of peacebuilding organisations — including RACI — working across Uganda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan under three pillars: Convictions, Connections, and Conditions. Participants noted that land remains one of the leading drivers of conflict in the region.
Discussions centred on several pressing issues: the encroachment of pastoralist herders onto customary land, the elite capture of community land through deceptive acquisitions, environmental degradation linked to land disputes, and the impact of rapid urbanisation on family land security. Participants also examined gender and youth exclusion from land ownership, as well as cross-border land tensions in districts such as Yumbe.
The Ministry of Lands shared updates on existing policy frameworks, including the National Land Policy and Gender Policy, while acknowledging gaps in enforcement. Cultural institutions, local governments, and District Land Offices were identified as key allies for resolving disputes and improving community awareness.
The meeting closed with a set of agreed actions, including training Peace Catalysts as certified mediators, promoting tree planting as a conflict-mitigation measure, strengthening community sensitisation on family land and inheritance rights, and engaging government bodies on cross-border boundary issues. RACI and its partners reaffirmed their commitment to advancing peaceful, equitable land governance through continued policy engagement and grassroots advocacy.