UWA to evict 6,000 in Amuru tomorrow

Some of the recently evicted residents of Apaa in Amuru district ponder the next move after their huts were destroyed by game rangers. Photo by Sam Lawino

What you need to know:

Forewarned. Wildlife body insists it warned the residents in advance. But the people claim they have even acquired land titles for the disputed piece of land.

At least 6,000 residents of Apaa, in Pabo Sub-county, Amuru District, could be homeless should Uganda Wildlife Authority decide to evict them from East Madi Game Reserve tomorrow.

The authority, in a Monday circular signed by Dr Andrew Seguya, the acting executive director, said the over 15 kilometre square land is gazetted as a protected area under Statutory Instrument NO 049 of 2011.

“Following the end of the harvesting period, UWA under the guidance of the Ministry of Tourism, is to commence eviction of people living in East Madi Wildlife reserve this Thursday,” the circular reads in part, adding, “the evictions were meant for 2011 but postponed to allow squatters harvest their crops as requested by the district leaders.”

Dr Seguya further stated that UWA would work closely with the support of the police and the army and the district leadership of Amuru and Adjumani to forcefully evict the encroachers following their refusal to voluntarily leave the area.
Forceful destruction
Mid last year, the authority forcefully destroyed over 400 huts of the encroachers and also destroyed several hectares of crops in an attempt to kick them out of the area.

But after the district leaders intervened, the exercise was halted although the residents claim legitimacy over the land.

The authority is currently managing 10 national parks, 12 wildlife reserves, 14 wildlife sanctuaries and provides guidance for five community wildlife areas countrywide.

Mr Jucinto Okot, the LCI chairman of the disputed area, maintained that “the area belongs to the people because some of them settled in the area as early as 1970s and acquired land tittles.”

“Some of our great, grandparents were also buried on this land, how can the government turn around to claim ownership of the land the people lived on for decades? We only left the land during the insurgency, now we are back to our land.”

Kilak MP Gilbert Olanya recently said Parliament degazzetted the area in 2002 making it fit for human settlement, a claim denied by Tourism Minister Ephraim Kamuntu last year.

Meanwhile, the East Madi Game Reserve Conservation Manager, Mr Tom Okello Obong, said his team would implement the lawful order from the ministry, come tomorrow if the alleged squatters do not leave. “They have started ferrying new people to the area to paint a different picture on the ground but we are going ahead with the evictions. They failed to heed our repeated advice,” added Mr Obong.