UWA OVERWHELMED WITH DEMANDS FOR DEGAZETTMENT OF WILDLIFE RESERVES

BY MICHAEL OJOK

AMURU. Uganda Wildlife Authority is grappling with numerous demands from community members and leaders to degazate wildlife reserves.

The demands are majorly from Mt Elgon Conservation area, Kidepo Valley National Conservation area and East Madi Wildlife Reserve among others. East Madi Wildlife reserve hosts Apaa, which has been contested by both the Acholi and Madi communities in Amuru and Adjumani districts respectively.

Bashir Hanji, the Spokesperson, Uganda Wildlife Authority said they are currently struggling to operate and conserve wildlife in East Madi. This is due to recent persistent violent attacks between the Acholi and Madi, who are contesting boundary and land ownership.

Hanji said that some leaders have proposed that in order to end the violent attacks and restore peaceful co-existence in the area, part of the contested area should be degazated and the land given to the community members.

According to Hanji, their major concern is to conserve the wild animals and have now left the demand to be handled by President Yoweri Museveni and other leaders.

Anthony Akol, the Kilak North Member of Parliament, also the Chairperson of Acholi Parliamentary Group says the demand for degazzetment is genuine since the gazzetment of Apaa under East Madi Wildlife reserve was done when the Acholi community were in the Internally Displaced Camps-IDPs.

In 2019, Members of Parliament from Amuru district moved a motion in Parliament to have the contested land measuring over 42,000 square miles officially degazetted in order for land to be officially used by the locals who have apparently continued to use it “illegally”.