Evicted residents vow to reoccupy land in Semuliki Park
Before being resettled in Ntandi Town Council, Bundibugyo District, in 2007, the Batwa were living in Semuliki National Park. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
More than 3,000 households, representing clans such as Bahanda, Bahombi, Babomboli, Batogho, Babandi, Bandikiteganwa, Bandikulya, Babukulu, Mandimagwara, and Bandimugumo, have been seeking compensation and resettlement from the government since 2010 in vain
The Bamba-Babwisi community in Bundibugyo District have issued a strong declaration, vowing to forcefully reoccupy their ancestral land within Semuliki National Park, 40 years after they were evicted.
The community, consisting of more than 10 clans, claim ownership of a seven-square-mile area that was turned into a game reserve during colonial times and later designated as a national park in 1993 by the government.
The clans, under the Matongo Lost Land Recovery Families’ Group (MLLRFG), were evicted in 1983 during President Milton Obote II’s government.
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More than 3,000 households, representing clans such as Bahanda, Bahombi, Babomboli, Batogho, Babandi, Bandikiteganwa, Bandikulya, Babukulu, Mandimagwara, and Bandimugumo, have been seeking compensation and resettlement from the government since 2010 in vain.
The chairperson of the Matongo Lost Land Recovery Families’ Group, Mr Cornelius Bakecura, expressed the community’s plight, stating that they have been unable to afford legal fees to pursue their case in court.
“The communities that have hosted us since our eviction, are now turning against us due to population increase on their land,” he said.
Mr Bakecura also highlighted injustice, citing instances where similar land issues elsewhere have been resolved.
Mr Gorge Ngilesi, a claimant, revealed that the remains of his relatives still lie within Semuliki National Park.
“If they can’t allow us to go back to our ancestral land, let them allow us to go back and exhume remains of our relatives and show us where to rebury them,” Mr Ngilesi said.
The Bundibugyo District chairperson, Mr Robert Tibakunirwa, emphasised the urgency of the Matongo land issue and urged the government to take action.
“They want the government to either de-gazette the park or let them resettle on their ancestral land or compensate them so that they can go and look for alternative land where to settle for their livelihoods,” Mr Tibakunirwa said.
In response, the Bundibugyo deputy resident district commissioner, Mr Umar Muhanguzi, acknowledged the community’s suffering, adding that the government was aware of the issue.
He called for patience while awaiting a response from the authorities.
