By Ezaruku Draku Franklin

A new report by Witness Radio, non-profit organization supporting land-grabbing victims across the country, has shed lights into how both foreign and domestic “Tree Plantation Investors” in Uganda are driving forced land evictions using environmental conservation as a pretext.

The report says the rise of “green grabs”, land acquisitions made for carbon offset projects, disregards the rights and livelihoods of local communities.

“These green grabs mirror the injustices of traditional forced land evictions by displacing communities under the guise of carbon neutrality,” the report said.

Conservationists were however unavailable to respond to the report, which raises serious questions about the involvement of local and indigenous communities in conservation efforts across the country.

The report that covered land conflicts from January to June 2024 released this week, said the carbon offset projects through tree planting displace communities, disrupt traditional land use, and raise concerns over sustainability and ethical practices within the carbon offset industry.

“Without recognition of secure land tenure, communities lack legal protection against forced evictions, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation, minimal compensation, and displacement by industries including agriculture and infrastructure development,” the report said.

During the data compilation, the report documented 90 cases of land evictions across Uganda for a period of six-month, with more than 363,000 people affected. It also said more than 121,442 hectares of land is at the risk of being grabbed away by the conservationist.

The report said on average, nearly four cases of land eviction are reported weekly, affecting an estimated number of 15,126 people and further threatening 5,060 hectares of land.

“Each day, about 723 hectares are seized, displacing an estimated 2,160 Ugandans,” the report said.

Uganda’s carbon market has seen mixed responses from different sectors, with the state minister for environment, Beatrice Anywar last year warning locals not to be duped by the foreign agents who come in the name of carbon trade, but end up cheating the locals.

However, in some parts of the country, locals involved in carbon trade say the scheme has improved their livelihoods by earning extra cash from planting indigenous tree species.

The witness radio report pointed out the regional eviction hotspots across the country, but said the biggest concentrations were in Bunyoro sub-region, where oil development by TotalEnergies and CNOOC have intensified land conflicts. Other hotspots are Wakiso and Nakasongola Districts, where over 4,000 residents in Lwabyata sub-county face violent eviction led by a private landowner.

Kyegegwa District has also been identified as a hotspot, where government-allocated land for avocado cultivation and industrial projects in Kyaka refugee camps could displace roughly 130,000 people, and Bulambuli District, where over 550 families are in a dispute with a businesswoman claiming ownership of over 600 hectares.

In Northern Uganda, the report points to the Apaa land conflict between the Madi and Acholi communities which has remained unresolved, resulting in displacements and deaths. In February 2024, violent clashes led to the destruction of over 400 homes and the deaths of two Madi men, forcing over 3,000 locals to flee.

In many cases, evictions were enforced by armed gangs, with involvement from Uganda Police, the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF), and private security companies.

The report said Community Land and Environment Rights Defenders (CLERDs) advocating for their communities face severe backlash, with Witness Radio documenting 65 cases of intimidation, assault, and arbitrary arrests targeting these defenders.

The report for example identified a person with disability only identified as Bwoye, who was earlier this year beaten up over his piece of land in in Buliisa district

A father of 20 and a person with a disability Bwoye said his land was confiscated when he demanded fair compensation, “State authorities intimidated, arrested, and charged me with false offenses, accusing me of sabotaging the government project.”

For Vivian Nandyose, she was left with no option, but to drop out of school when her parents were arrested. She said the parents have since spent nine months in prison on what the family believes are trumped-up charges. She said on January 10, 2024, her parents were forcefully arrested from their home in Kabubu-Kabongo village, Nansana Municipality, Wakiso District.

“In the early hours of that day, police officers from Luwero Police Station raided our home at 1 a.m., banging on the doors to forcefully arrest my parents. Mr. Ssebaggala Prossy, his wife Namande Prossy Kanabi, and our relative Anania Ngabirano and accused of aggravated robbery,” she said.

In Nakasongola District Dan Ssebyala, a smallholder farmer, was ambushed and murdered as he returned to his home in Ndaiga Village, Nakasongola District, around 9 pm on Monday, March 4, 2024 after he had a confrontation with an investor. According to the report. Ssebyala was waylaid by machete-wielding men shortly after an alleged confrontation with a manager from the disputed land where Ssebyala had been farming.

In Bulambuli district, Bumufuni Sub-County, locals, according to the report are embroiled in a dispute with businesswoman Rose Wekomba over land ownership. Rose Wekomba claims to have purchased land covering four villages in Busonge, Buwesonga, Buwanjala, and Bubulo in Bumufuni, as well as Buwesonga in Bumufuni and Buwesonga parishes in 2015.

However, according to the report, the community comprising over 550 families alleges that the businesswoman acquired their land, totaling 608.24 hectares, illegally and is calling for intervention from the government.

“We are not allowed to grow crops to sustain our livelihood or bury relatives on our land yet we have never sold it to her,” one of the elders facing eviction revealed.

Across in the north, Apaa community the report said for over decades, the Apaa land clashes have persisted, inflicting hardships upon the communities of the Madi and Acholi regions. The unresolved conflicts continue to exert a heavy toll, resulting in the ongoing displacement of these communities from their ancestral lands and escalating deaths.

The report says between February and March 2024, at least five people lost their lives in the tribal clashes between the Acholi and Madi communities over Apaa land in Adjumani district. The land is also claimed by government entities, the Uganda Wild life Authority (UWA) and National Forestry Authority (NFA)

“In one of the incidents, between Friday night 16^th February 2024 and Monday morning of February 19^th 2024, unidentified assailants armed with bows and arrows, spears, and hoes, among others, descended upon Apaa Township, targeting villages including Goro B, Kal Acut, and Kamdini leading to the displacement of over 3000 locals and death of two Madi tribesmen identified as Juliano Taku 57 and Drani Arikanjelo, the report said.

It also said over 400 grass-thatched huts were set ablaze, and livestock were slaughtered indiscriminately. Many residents fled their homes, seeking refuge at Wee-yoo Trading Centre near a police outpost, where they shared chilling accounts of the violence they endured,” the report said.

The report says between Jan and June 2024, Witness Radio documented 65 cases of attacks against land and environment rights defenders (LEDs) challenging illegal land evictions and corporate harm on the environment in Uganda.

The report says the illicit land evictions reported during the period January and June 2024 perpetuate vicious cycles of poverty, inequality, and marginalization, presenting formidable obstacles to the social, economic, and environmental well-being of those impacted. The following are part of them.

It also says loss of education and uncertain future because of evictions often result in the demolition of schools, depriving children of access to education. Additionally, the report says families facing displacement struggle to afford school fees due to financial constraints, exacerbating the cycle of poverty and hindering children’s prospects for a better future.

 “Land evictions force communities to leave their homes and traditional lands, resulting in displacement. This disrupts their way of life, agricultural practices, and livelihoods, often pushing them into poverty and increasing their vulnerability to food insecurity. Forced displacement often lead to psychological distress, trauma, and a sense of loss of identity and belonging among communities, which often have long-lasting effects on their mental health and well-being.

The report said in some cases, land evictions are carried out to make way for large-scale development projects such as mining, agriculture, or infrastructure, which leads to environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity, and disruption of ecosystems, further exacerbating the vulnerability of local communities who depend on the land for sustenance.

The report asked government to respect for human rights and adherence to the rule of law, address the corruption and abuse of power by those in positions of authority especially in land registries, Uganda Police Force and the Army, coupled with favoritism towards the wealthy at the expense of the poor.

“The government should enact laws that compel investors to uphold the human rights of host countries. By holding investors accountable to these standards, the government can foster responsible and sustainable investment practices that benefit both investors and the communities they operate in,” it said.

It also tasked the Ministry Lands, Housing and Urban Development hto protect all land owners from all kinds of land evictions, ensure the sustainable use and management of land resources.

“The existing land laws should be rigorously enforced before contemplating any amendments to ensure their effectiveness in addressing current challenges comprehensively. Neglecting the implementation of current laws renders any proposed amendments futile,” the report said.

It also urged the investors to respect human rights and adhere to the rule of law, regardless of the lawlessness of host countries, investors should adhere to international human rights standards in their land acquisition processes and business operations