Michael Ojah, the manager for Aswa Range explained that although the area was demarcated, the current physical infrastructures makes it hard to identify the boundaries. Adding that the demarcation is not meant to evict anyone found to be within the boundaries of the central forest reserve.
The bag of charcoal has increased to 40,000 from between 15,000 and 20,000 shillings for a sack in 2023. The skyrocketing prices have been attributed to the long distances that charcoal producers walk to search for trees and the hardships in transporting charcoal from the site after burning.
Between January and June 2024, Witness Radio documented 90 major land evictions across the country, involving over 363,000 Ugandans. Four land evictions occur each week, affecting around 15,126 people and threatening 5,060 hectares of land.
The Bill, which seeks to amend the National Forestry Act, 2003, was first read on September 24, 2024, and subsequently referred to the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources for review.
Speaking at the project launch in Gulu City, Edward Khaukha, the World Vision Uganda Regional Programme Manager for Northern/Karamoja Region says the FMNR project seeks to promote the conservation of natural tree cover by farmers.
Robert Balinda Akankwasa of M/S Intrepid Recovery Associates Ltd announced that they had reached an agreement with NFA to auction the charcoal through public auctioning, with each bag being priced at Shillings 25,000. The auctioneer will receive 3% of the total sales and 900,000 Shillings for media advertising expenses after the final sale.
On Friday, our reporter visited the site and found most of the charcoal bags torn due to long exposure to the sun and rain leaving the charcoal exposed.
Nyipir told the court on Thursday that the level of environmental destruction fueled by the growing commercial charcoal trade in the region is at an alarming level and needed a tougher sentence if the vice is to stop.
Ventorina Acaa, 70, says that the contested land does not belong to NFA but was rather offered to BAT for tobacco growing, adding that the trees in the area were used for drying tobacco.
Amuru Resident District Commissioner, Stephen Odong Latek told Uganda Radio Network in an interview Monday that six trucks and a lorry carrying the charcoal were impounded in the operation that kicked off last week.
The district natural resources officers backed by the police are conducting operations in which they have cut down several acres of seasonal crops and plants grown in the different wetlands; with an aim of restoring them to mitigate adverse climate change effects.
At least seven people sustained severe injuries and more than 200 grass thatched huts were razed down in Paka Paka, and Oyanga villages following fresh attacks by armed men suspected to have crossed from Adjumani District.
Haruna Busobozi, the NFA Sector Manager for West Acholi, which comprises Gulu, Omoro, Nwoya and Amuru districts told URN on Tuesday that the charcoal bags were impounded between January and March this year.
In Okidi North and East Villages in Attiak Sub County in Amuru district, more than 100 acres of Shea nut trees have been cut down by the charcoal dealers.
Xavier Sekanabo from the Environmental Police Protection Unit who led the operation said that they have no mercy for the charcoal dealers because they are depleting the environment and indiscriminately destroying the endangered tree species including Afzelia Africana, shea and mahogany among others.
She told URN that she has been in the business for only three months following a connection with a friend and has never cut trees or burnt charcoal but been buying in small scale.
Gen Lokech specifically pointed fingers at the Resident District Commissioners, District Police Commanders, and some political heads as some of the offices through which crime is abetted. Gen Lokech linked the current “abnormal” temperature experienced in the region to the plunder of forest resources and destruction of the forest cover.
Haruna Busubozi, the NFA Sector Manager for Gulu disclosed to URN on Thursday that they auctioned over 2000 charcoal bags at between Shillings 20,000 and 25,000 and sent the money to the national treasury.
Kafuuzi revealed that the government has a special fund earmarked for compensating landlords who intend to evict Ugandans from their areas of settlement and promised to dispatch a team to evaluate the land and they buy it for the locals.
Matiya Lwanga Bwanika says that the people involved in degrading the environment especially participating in unacceptable sand mining, wiping out natural forests by cutting down trees and thereafter grabbing land meant for forest reserves are mostly high profile people who are known to be untouchable and therefore no policy from the current regime can apprehend them.
