AMURU/ADJUMANI. Communities living on the shores of River Nile in the areas of Fodogonga, Ewere, and Gazi in Amuru and Adjumani districts have been left devastated after a team of soldiers belonging to Uganda wild life authority (UWA) forcefully evicted them from their residences.
The land in question is said to be part of Apaa game reserve.
The residents have cried foul over the manner in which the evictions were effected, some allege that they have been in the area since early 1990s and want the government to permanently give the land to them.
55 year old Benoni Ndema, a resident of Rezenga village said the evictions started on 22nd May with the UWA officers beating and torching houses of the locals.
Ndema, who has 4 wives said he is stranded and cannot transport his family across the river to Rhino camp where he originally hails from; he also complained of his vast cultivations that needed to be harvested before he can leave.
The LC I Chairman of Kampala landing site village Mr Khemis Alli speaks during a meeting with security and local leaders.
Ms Jenifer Ajio, a resident from Gazi, said people fled to “Kampala” landing site village after some were beaten and their property looted by the UWA enforcers. She claimed that the officers made off with property including chicken, Goats, Sheep, cassava flour among others.
During a fact finding trip organized by lower Madi county Member of Parliament where most of the evicted communities originally hail from, stranded residents pleaded for urgent help.
“We thank you for coming to see our plight, we have been suffering since 2004 and yet you can see for yourself that we are not bad people, no arms, no stealing and not even poaching, we were born here and we are peaceful people, where should we go now because back in Rhino camp the land is not enough?” Mr. Khemis Ali, the LC I chairman of Kampala landing site lamented during the meeting that also attracted the regional brigade intelligence officer and the regional internal security officer.
Mr Husein saidi Adu, an elder of the community said due to the harassment, 6 children went missing although this could not be independently verified.
“The government has promised to tarmac the road connecting Amuru to Rhino camp with the ferry, are these services being brought for animals or for us the people living here?”, he asked.
Mr Ismail Oagama, the Member of Parlierment for Lower Madi adresses the aggreived communities during a dialogue.
Mr Ismail Ogama, the area Member of Parliament promised to follow the matter with his colleague parliamentarians and the relevant security organs so that a peaceful solution can be reached.
UWA speaks out
Mr Bashir Hangi, the UWA head of communications said the authority was left with no option but to push the communities out of the gazetted wild life area after they failed to heed earlier warnings to leave the place.
“We have the mandate to secure the wild life protected areas and we warned the communities to voluntarily leave the place in September 2017, they agreed to leave by March 2018 but some people stubbornly remained there, it’s not a good thing to use force but we had no other option” Hangi said.
He rubbished claims of looting by the officers “we carry these operations with a human face and with strict discipline, therefore such allegations are not true” he clarified.
Mr Hangi also said the evacuation would control poaching and save people’s lives from dangerous wild animals.
