Poachers Hit UWA Staff
David Mafabi
26 March 2011



Kween — Poachers on Mt. Elgon National Park have attacked officials of the Uganda Wildlife Authority stabbing one of them and forcing others to flee.

Mr Abdulla Mashaka, 34, was attacked on Thursday by poachers and their hunting dogs at Benet in Kween District. He was cut with a panga and injured severely on the hands and limbs before the poachers took off into the bushes.

The UWA head ranger at Piswa Ranger Station, Sgt. Jonai Okello, confirmed the attack, saying Mr Mashaka has been hospitalised at Viena Clinic in Mbale town.

Mr Okello said the poachers after brutally cutting Mr Mashaka, abandoned him in the bush before a reinforcement of UWA rangers came to his rescue. "The rangers were moving from their station and going about with their business when they were confronted by the poachers who were armed with spears, arrows, machetes and dogs," he said. "Sensing danger, the poachers attacked our staff. Although others managed to escape, Mr Mashaka was over powered and cut several times and he also sustained dog bites."

Deep cuts

The medical officer at Viena Clinic, Mr Micheal Gibogi, said Mr Mashaka sustained deep cuts on his body and that doctors have put him on medication. "He also sustained dog bites on the right lower limb and the upper right limb and at the time he was brought here, he had bled so much and he was unconscious. We are going to give him anti-rabies because the dogs were not immunised," said Mr Gibogi. This attack on UWA staff comes barely six months after another UWA officer, Fred Toskin, was killed and the body was recovered from the park approximately one kilometre from Suam UWA range.

According to Mt. Elgon Conservation Area Manager, Mr Adonia Bintorwa, the poachers have intensified poaching on the park's animals for game meat and that it is losing out on the valuable species of animals that are meant to attract tourists. "They hunt the buffaloes, bush bucks, calabash monkey, dykes and elephants and most of the animals are now running to the friendlier Kenyan side as Uganda loses out on tourism," Mr Bintorwa said yesterday.

This comes at a time several encroachers have been demanding for re-degazetting of the park to allow them 1,206 hectares for settlement and farming, something government has rejected citing adverse effects such activities can have on the environment.


The UWA Public Relations Officer, Ms Lillian Nsubuga, said the wildlife body does not have any particular interest in the national park but that they are obligated to save the park from extinction not only as a major tourist attraction in the area but also as a climate modifier and source of water for most rivers in eastern Uganda. "Local leaders should get involved in the sensitisation and education of the people to understand the value of Mt. Elgon National Park to Uganda and save us these killings," said Ms Nsubuga.

The authorities in Mt Elgon National Park mid last year gave a one-month ultimatum to more than 14,000 people who had illegally settled around the park to vacate the place or face forcefully eviction. But many of them have since refused to leave the area.

That is quite interesting.

Maybe not related at all BUT I was talking today to a chap from Nebbi near the Kalarega National Park north west of the area mentioned, he said that up North West Uganda the Lord's Liberation Army was still a factor after decades of insurgency.

One never knows what influence or supply of weapons might be going on.

MAN AFRICA is interesting to say the least

Cheers, Peter

quote:

Originally posted by Balla Balla:
That is quite interesting.

Maybe not related at all BUT I was talking today to a chap from Nebbi near the Kalarega National Park north west of the area mentioned, he said that up North West Uganda the Lord's Liberation Army was still a factor after decades of insurgency.

One never knows what influence or supply of weapons might be going on.

MAN AFRICA is interesting to say the least

Cheers, Peter

There are NO LRA in North West Uganda but they definitely left a huge scar.

The Karamojong in North and Northeastern Uganda definitely armed themselves with AK in that time...presumably to protect themselves from LRA.

They still get plenty of 7.62X39's from donky caravans from Sudan in the dividing moumtain range.

ledvm

You know that there are numerous (low level conflicts) going on as we speak in Africa BUT because of the remote nature of Africa TV camera's dont seems to get there often and the WORLD in general dont give a stuff about it as there is no strategic value or interest. It is a shame really as the North Africa/Arabia scene is now dominatiing our TV screens whilst there are actually many many more people being killed in Africa (excluding north africa) than other regions of the world. One wonders why !!

And while on on my regional rave I wonder why our western guys are so hell bent on removing the despot Guadaffi (in the interest of saving civilian lives) when they cant tell sh.t from clay. Pray tell me the rebels are doing the same and killing civilians by the scrore and our (propoganda machine) does not mention that at all. Funny how they the press and western power brokers manipulate our populations.

Cheers, Peter

Never doubt that a small number of committed citizens can change the world - in fact it's the only thing that ever has. Margaret Meade

i can second Lane's comments I have been as far north west in Uganda as you can get without being in Sudan and there are NO rebels there. the officials of Uganda UWA will find the criminals and punish them. and in Uganda punishment is swift. Lane and myself have been in some of the most remote areas in the karamoja area. and Steve Robinson and I have traveled the border areas from mt. Elgon to Sudan also