Detained Ugandan Environment Activists Released

SIX staff of Africa Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO) and some environmental activists who were detained by Ugandan security operatives have been released.

Sources told Prime Business Africa that they were released on Monday but have to report again to the police on Friday.

The release happened two days after Prime Business Africa reported that Ugandan security forces were cracking down on activists who oppose the government’s approach in exploiting natural resources like oil and forest woods which were considered to be destructive to the environment.

The six AFIEGO staff include Mr. Dickens Kamugisha, CEO; Ms. Rachael Amongin, Assistant Communications Officer; Ms. Catherine Twongyeirwe, Finance, and Administration Assistant; Ms. Mercy Nuwamanya, Front desk officer; Mr. Patrick Edema, Research Associate and; Mr. Paul Kato, Research Associate. Two of them were breastfeeding mothers.

AFIEGO is a nongovernmental organization that focuses on advocating good governance of energy resources in a way that makes the environment sustainable and equally beneficial to the poor population in Africa.

The NGO has been leading the Save Bugoma Forest Campaign (SBFC) alongside other partners, advocating the protection of Bugoma Forest from land grabbing, oil and sugarcane challenges.

The group has also been vocal in advocating the rights of communities affected by the Tilenga, East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) and oil refinery projects.

In recent times, there have been reports of indiscriminate arrest and detention without trial of activists who oppose the East African government’s policies and actions that negatively affect the environment and the masses.

According to an Environment Activist and Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), based, Nnimmo Bassey, the actions of the Ugandan government under the leadership of Yoweri Museveni, is a pure negation of rule of law and has a very bad implication on the image of democracy in not just the country but the whole of the African continent.

“Today the continued crackdown on human, environmental and social justice campaigners exposes the current government as anti-democratic and negating the ideals on which platform the president fought into power 35 years ago.

“From the ongoing repression in the country, it appears that governance is currently on life support. A disturbing fact is that the examples set by President Museveni could trigger similar repressive actions in neighbouring countries. Harassing, intimidating and detaining human and socio-cultural rights defenders including those from AFIEGO send very wrong pictures of governance not just in Uganda but on the continent,” Bassey Stated.