Land conflicts are threatening the relative peace that is prevailing in northern Uganda after twenty years of war characterized by displacement of more than two million people. The paper investigated the causes of land conflicts, how they have affected society, and the mechanisms that have been employed to resolve them. A questionnaire was used to collect data in rural communities about the prevalence, causes and mechanisms to resolve the land conflicts. Key informants were interviewed to find out how the land conflicts are affecting social stability in Amuru district. Focus group discussions were conducted to explore the views of the general public on issues of land conflicts and social stability. Results show that majority of the causes of land conflicts are related to displacement of people by the war from their land and the customary way of unequal land distribution based on gender bias. Social stability is threatened by acts like violence attacks, killings, forced migration and destruction of the victims’ source of livelihoods like crops, livestock and houses. Traditional cultural institutions are mostly trusted in the resolution of land conflicts among other mechanisms. It is concluded that land conflicts pose a potential for social instability, and institutions to manage land conflicts, varied as they are, have made it possible for members of the community to have access to them according to their social and economic levels.

Keywords: Land conflicts, conflict resolution, and social stability