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Two Ugandans killed in jungle land clash
Rainforest Portal - 13.04.2007 12:38
Ugandan police have opened fire at hundreds of Mabira rainforest
protection campaigners in Uganda protesting against government
plans to allocate forest land to a sugar company. Ecological
Internet is sad to report that two local rainforest
conservationists, protesting to save the Mabira protected
rainforest from being 1/3 cleared for sugar cane have, were shot
dead when protesting according to BBC.
ACTION ALERT UPDATE PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY!
Demand Ugandan Government Stop Killing Rainforest Protestors and
Fully Protect Mabira Rainforest Preserve
By Rainforest Portal, a project of Ecological Internet, Inc.
 http://www.RainforestPortal.org/
April 12, 2006
TAKE ACTION
Last Chance to Stop Great Ugandan Mabira Rainforest Give-Away
http://www.rainforestportal.org/alerts/send.asp?id=uganda
Update:
Ugandan police have opened fire at hundreds of Mabira rainforest
protection campaigners in Uganda protesting against government
plans to allocate forest land to a sugar company. Ecological
Internet is sad to report that two local rainforest
conservationists, protesting to save the Mabira protected
rainforest from being 1/3 cleared for sugar cane have, were shot
dead when protesting according to BBC. Stopping the "Great
Mabira Rainforest Give-Away" has been something the Ecological
Internet Earth Action Network has been deeply involved with
internationally (media coverage below). This in support of one
of Africa's first grassroots modern ecological protest campaigns
- with local peoples organizing boycotts against the sugar
company involved, setting up cyber-petitions and text messaging
via cell phones to organize protests. Efforts to save Mabira
rainforest are a spontaneous, home-grown rainforest conservation
protest that deserves our continued support. Search "Mabira":
http://www.rainforestportal.org/shared/search/welcome.aspx?searchtext=Mabira
Ecological Internet's 25,000 strong global campaign community
must let the Ugandan government know that shooting protestors is
unacceptable, that the authoritarian efforts to give away
Mabira's rainforests are undemocratic and corrupt, and once
again emphasize that Uganda needs more protected ancient primary
and old-growth forests and restored buffer zones and corridors
to ensure national ecological sustainability including water,
climate, soils and local development options.
Though indications are the President is going to ram this
rainforest give-away through Parliament, let's not give up. And
let's not abandon those dying in the streets for the principle
that logging ancient rainforests is archaic and must be banned.
The message being sent has been completely altered so please
send again if you did already. We have other campaigns coming
but this is important. Please take action now at:
http://www.rainforestportal.org/alerts/send.asp?id=uganda
*******************
Must recent alert:
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni continues to pursue legally
dubious plans to destroy large areas of Uganda's last important
intact and protected rainforests. Some one-third of Mabira
Forest Reserve, about 7,000 hectares of an area which has been
protected since 1932, will lose its protection for sugar cane
production by the Mehta Group. Ecological Internet was the first
to bring a thriving Ugandan rainforest protection and protest
movement to an international audience. Since that time many more
local and international groups have joined the campaign. Uganda
has long been facing a deforestation crisis, with forests
covering 20 percent of Uganda 40 years ago, but now just
covering seven percent. Deforestation has been directly
responsible for declining levels of waters in Lake Victoria,
River Nile and other rivers resulting in a scarcity of drinking
water and reduction in hydroelectric energy production.
Continued destruction of Uganda's surviving forests will have
further grave ecological consequences -- threatening ecotourism
revenues, rare species, sparking soil erosion and water
pollution. Already the movement for sustainable rainforest use
and development in Uganda has won. Maintaining and expanding
rainforest protection has been established as a critical pillar
of climate change mitigation, water availability and national
ecological sustainability for Uganda's future. Please contact
the entire Ugandan parliament, Ugandan ministries and embassies
and insist that the Mabira sugar cane project be abandoned, and
Uganda's remaining rainforest strictly protected. Take Action!
http://www.rainforestportal.org/alerts/send.asp?id=uganda
Discuss alert:
http://www.rainforestportal.org/issues/2007/04/alert_update_demand_ugandan_go.asp
**********************
Deaths in Uganda forest protest
Source: Copyright 2007, BBC
Date: April 12, 2007
Original URL
Two people have been killed in Uganda during violence at a
protest against government plans to allocate forest land to a
sugar company, police say.
A suspected looter was shot dead by security guards and a
passer-by hit by a stray bullet, say the police, who have fired
live bullets and tear gas.
There have been several attacks on Asians, leaving two people in
hospital. A Hindu temple has also been damaged.
The sugar firm which wants to use part of the Mabira forest is
Asian-owned.
Environmentalists say the move threatens existence of rare
species of trees and birds in the 30,000 hectare forest.
'Frightening'
The march began quietly, with about 500 people marching through
central Kampala, carrying placards and tree branches.
"People were demonstrating peacefully when there was a
misunderstanding with the police. All of a sudden they opened
fire," Frank Muramuzi, and environmental activist told Reuters
news agency.
The BBC's Sarah Grainger in Kampala says protesters threw stones
at the police and set fire to vehicles.
Reuters news agency reports that police had to rescue about 40
men from a Hindu temple after it was attacked by a mob.
"We were inside the temple and the protesters started attacking
us from outside," 50-year-old Dipaul Patel told Reuters. "It was
very frightening."
The Sugar Corporation of Uganda (Scoul), part of the Mehta
group, owned by a Ugandan Asian, wants to expand its plantations
in central Uganda, taking over one-third of the Mabira forest.
Campaigners are now calling on Ugandans to boycott its sugar
products.
In recent years, Ugandan Asians have started to return to the
country, after being expelled by Idi Amin in the 1970s.
They used to control much of the economy, sparking resentment
among some Ugandans.
Text campaign
Parliament is yet to change the status of the forests and
campaigners have threatened legal action if the forest is given
away.
Public protests over the government plans have heightened in the
capital and car bumper stickers urging people to save Mabira
forest have become very popular, our correspondent says.
There has also been a text message campaign, urging people to
take part in the protests.
Supporters of Scoul's bid for more land say the expansion of
would create more jobs and income for the country.
They dismiss those opposing the move saying subsistence farmers
have already encroached on much of the forest land.
The kabaka, or king, of the local Buganda community has offered
to give alternative land for the sugar company in a bid to save
the hardwood forest.
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