Arua, town located in northwestern Uganda. Arua is situated at an elevation of 4,300 feet (1,310 metres), about 12 miles (19 km) east of the border shared with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Roads link it with Moyo and Nebbi, and it has an airstrip. Arua is a market town for cotton, tobacco, tea, coffee, cassava (manioc), and corn (maize), and its industrial products include beverages, processed food, leather goods, soap, metal goods, apparel, rope and twine, and oils and fats. Arua’s location has facilitated trade with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan, which is located to the north. Arua is the hometown of former president Idi Amin. Pop. (2008 est.) 53,600.