Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Yahudu Kitunzi
Published on 2024-01-30 05:45:00
Reports continue to emerge regarding gross human rights violations near Mt Elgon National Park by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) staff. Multiple victims have spoken out, claiming to have been shot and injured, as well as experiencing destruction of their gardens by UWA rangers.
One such victim, Mr Jimmy Chelangat, alleges that he was shot while grazing his cattle near the park. Another resident, Mr Nicholas Ruto, claims that he was shot by a ranger and still has the bullet lodged in his body.
Locals have reported that their settlements and grazing fields near the park were allegedly forcefully evicted by UWA. The coordinator of the Mosopisyek of Benet indigenous community, Mr David Chemutai, expressed concern over the ongoing conflict between UWA and locals in the region. He stated that the Mosopisyek of Benet indigenous community was forcefully evicted from their ancestral land on Mt Elgon to create a national park and are now landless.
Sironko District Woman Member of Parliament Florence Nambozo accused UWA of destroying crops and houses in the region, and lives have been lost at the hands of government agencies’ staff. Other residents recounted instances of UWA officials destroying their crops and harassing community members.
These conflicts have persisted for close to 27 years, with battles between UWA and locals leading to displacement and destruction of livelihoods. The locals are demanding compensation for those killed or injured as a result of UWA activities, as well as intervention from the government to resolve the ongoing disputes.
In response, the chief warden at Mt Elgon Conservation Area stated that the ongoing operations are not intended to harm people living near the park. However, the community has reported instances of being attacked by rangers. UWA officials maintained that the operations are to identify and profile individuals cultivating within the park and encouraged cooperation from the local communities.
Overall, the ongoing situation has led to a breakdown of trust between UWA officials and the local communities living near the park. Efforts to resolve the conflict have failed, and the locals continue to demand justice and intervention from the government to address the human rights violations they are facing near Mt Elgon National Park.
