‘Lobowa, Lobowa!’ Naked Defiance in the Struggle for Land in Amuru District, Northern Uganda

Abstract

As land grabbing sweeps across the Global South, increasing numbers of rural people face systematic displacement from their land. The perpetuation of exclusion and disregard for their basic access to land is often further enhanced by the post-conflict settings in which many land grabs occur. Leaving many without the formal channels to express their contentions. However, despite the odds pitted against them increasing numbers of landless people are resisting. Rural resistance has been relatively under-studied in comparison to the extensive literature on land grabbing. The literature that does exist is dominated by structural theories with little regard for the agency of the individual even in marginalised settings. Therefore, through the discussion on naked protests in Amuru District, northern Uganda, this thesis aims to provide insight into one particular case of rural resistance against land grabbing. Highlighting how naked protests have come to define resistance against land grabbing in Amuru District. This thesis will explore how processes of resistance against land grabs are highly complex and emotional processes. Requiring a shift to more emotional theories of resistance and social movement, which give value to the agent’s lived experience whilst acknowledging the role of local context. Through the discussion of naked protests in Amuru District, this thesis aims to contribute to the conversation of emotional theories of resistance, outlining its value for understanding the drivers of social movement and the creation of group solidarity.