Violence on land disputes is no new episode in global land allocation deals. Same is the case with Uganda’s plans to allocate forest land to a sugar company. Part of the Mehta group, the Sugar Corporation of Uganda (Scoul), wants to expand its plantations in central Uganda, resulting in taking over of one-third of the Mabira forest. This move threatens the 30,000 hectare forest’s existence of rare tree and bird species.
Part of the Mabira forest, which the sugar firm wants to use is owned by Asian Ugandan. During the violence at a protest against the plans, at least three people have died, according to police.
Guards shot a suspected looter, a stray bullet hit a passer-by, and added to the land-related cruelty, an Asian man was stoned to death! As police fired live bullets.
Several Asians in Kampala have been attacked, also damaging a Hindu temple. 50-year-old Dipaul Patel told Reuters,
We were inside the temple and the protesters started attacking us from outside. It was very frightening.
Trying to reason out the bid for more lands, supporters of Scoul say that the expansion would be creating more jobs and income for the country. Whereas those opposing the move, say subsistence farmers have already encroached on much of the forest land.
But, in a bid to save the hardwood forest, the kabaka – or king – of the local Buganda community has offered alternative land for the sugar company.