Arua

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For other uses, see Arua (disambiguation).

Coordinates: 3°1′27″N 30°54′41″E / 3.02417, 30.91139
Arua
Arua Location in Uganda
Country	Uganda
Admin. region
District	Arua District
Government
- Mayor
Population
- Total	29,828

Arua, pop. 29,828, is a town in Arua District in north western Uganda. An important local commercial centre, it is a base for a large refugee population from Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo and is an aid distribution centre for those nations.

It is located nearly 520 km from Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. Arua was the capital of the former West Nile province. However, with the breakup of the West Nile province in the 1970s into Arua, Nebbi and Moyo districts, Arua town became the capital of Arua district. It is also the home town of now deceased former Ugandan president Idi Amin Dada.

Arua town was initially slotted as the proposed capital of Lado enclave.

A distinction should however be made between Arua and Arua District. The dominant tribe in Arua District are the Lugbara who are divided up into the different dialects of Vurra who come from Vurra county, Ayivu who are from Ayivu county, Madi who are from Madi-Okollo County. It should be noted that the Madi from Madi-Okollo have a variant dialect from those in Moyo and Adjumani Districts.

Arua is an important base for NGOs working in the West Nile region or serving Western Equatoria in Sudan or northeastern Congo DRC. It has become increasingly important as a commercial supply centre and transport route^[1] as the Yei–Juba road has opened up and supplies come into Juba from the south rather than through Khartoum.