West Nile indigenous ethnic minority groups call for access to ancestral land and cultural sites

The five indigenous Ethnic Minority groups is the west Nile sub region have appealed to the government access to their historical ancestral land and cultural sites.

Indigenous Minority Groups are groups often discriminated against and in some societies are marginalized socially, economically, and politically and are sometimes victims of severe human rights violations.

The Group in West Nile with the population of over 147,800 includes The Kebu and Lendu in Zombo district, the Nubi in Arua district, the Gimara and Reli in Obongi district.

The group which share common but distinctive features said over the years, their community has been subjected to eviction and denied access to their lands resulting in the grave loss of tangible and intangible heritage linked to physical spaces.

Dan Rwothomio, the secretary of west Nile Indigenous Minority Groups platform, whilst making a presentation during the commemoration of the 2024 International Day of the world’s Indigenous peoples at Daudi cotts in Paidha Town Council, Zombo district, on August 9, 2024 noted that “the Lendu community in Zombo district for instance have no access to their cultural resources found in Lendu forest guarded by the UPDF”

He also explained that the community has been denied access to their indigenous medicine, and clay used for pottery can’t be accessed noting how integral pottery is for the community of Lendu.

Rwothomio also revealed that the Gimara and Reli in Obongi district equally have no access to cultural resources like indigenous medicine in the Zoka forest adding that “we are asking the government to give us access to our ancestral lands and cultural sites that might be in those protected reserves”

This publication has learnt from the group that the Kebu tribe originally the blacksmith experts and Gimara fishermen have resorted to agriculture as fishing sites and raw materials are denied access to.

Mengu Celestino, the clan chief of Kebu Ondukuru under Kebu Kingdom, urged government through National Forestry Authority to grant the indigenous minority groups access to their ancestral land saying “ most of our people grew up knowing how to preserve and conserve the environment but now we who grew up grazing our animals in Awang and Lendu forest have no options, we really need the national government to intervene in this situation”

Matua Yekowia Opi, the cultural chief of Ismbatamia in Arua, blames land encroachers for environmental degradation, thus compelling authorities to reign in to the detriment of the indigenous Minority groups who are the natives of the areas from where they are innocently being evicted.

Other demands the IMGs put across are education and language for safeguarding cultural identity and the transmission of cultural heritage, political representation at both district and national levels and identity and recognition amongst others.

The king of Ndrupa in Zombo district, His Highness Jimmy Agenunga Njuni Rapia III in his speech explained that, due to couple of challenges the minority groups encounters, a sizeable number of them have resorted to camouflaging their identities to ensure they fit amongst the majority groups in the region.

The west Nile Indigenous Minority Groups during the international function implemented by the Cross-Cultural foundation of Uganda launched the policy brief containing string of issues they raised and think should be addressed across board by duty bearers.

What Minority groups in other parts of the country said?

Samuel Lobeka, the chairperson Karamoja Indigenous Minority Group platform from Katibong Community in Karenga district , calls upon fellow groups not to have “parasitic relationship with the majority groups”, further calling upon the district leaders nationwide to “work with your councilllors to get issues affecting the Minority Groups “
Mozes Kiptala, Elder Benet Community called upon the fellow minority groups “to do something so that we are recognized, let’s not marginalize our self”

West Nile Leaders say

The district community development officer of Zombo Samuel Ocaki, commended the Indigenous minority groups for tabling their concerns, noting of the district’s several initiatives put in place for their inclusivity

“The minority groups raised a lot of concerns, but we have also been trying our best as the district to address some of their concerns for instance, we are done with the translation of Kebu and Lendu constitution, the elders in those areas are included in the government programs like SAGE, PDM amongst others. So we are slowly getting there and some of them can testify” Ocaki said

The LCV chairperson of Zombo James Oruna Oyullu said as the district “we have been trying to include the minority groups in the government jobs, extend services to them and ensure that they too feel comfortable “

On the cross-border concerns raised, Oyullu said there is possibility of forthcoming “cross-border dialogue” to solve the longstanding cross-border issues.

Indigenous peoples enjoy specific, collective rights including the rights to practice customary law and protect their traditional knowledge, intellectual property and cultural heritage.

Anthony Oda, the Obongi district Principal Human Resource officer noted that they are adopting the concerns raised adding that “ we are adopting your concerns raised in this document as a working document and as minority groups, you need to put your house to order”

Meanwhile Denis Ocuna, from Life Concern, a non government organization based in Zombo District assured of increased advocacy of the rights of Indigenous Minority Groups in the area, citing some of the interventions earlier made to the group. He called for a change in rhetoric amongst the IMGs like “we and them instead of us”

Bosco Okurut, the chairperson Uganda Human Rights Commission West-Nile Sub region, commended the cross cultural foundation of Uganda for extending the event to West Nile sub-region, urging all the relevant authorities to address the concerns raised by the group since it’s their fundamental human rights.

What the cross cultural foundation of Uganda is saying

Frederick Nsimbabi, the Deputy Executive Director cross-cultural foundation of Uganda says as organization, they are continuing with advocacy of the IMGs rights that amongst others include access to their ancestral lands and cultural sites.
“There is a land policy in the offing; we have been struggling to have the platform to finalize the MOU So that they can access their places” Nsimbabi told the group at the event, further acknowledging the challenges the IMGs all over the country go through to access their ancestral sites and lands due to some government policy put in place.
“Sometimes government policy doesn’t allow them to access their cultural sites in the areas that they used to enjoy. so in Uganda when we speak about IMGs, there are three things that we need to put at the back of mind, majority of the IMGs are very small when it comes to their population, they have been marginalized and in most cases they are excluded in governance and political representation” Nsimbabi said.
He also added that “Uganda Wild Life Authority should first track the signing of memorandum of understandings with the IMGs in gazzeted areas to allow them access their cultural sites”

Apparently, the cross-cultural foundation of Uganda (CFFU) is advocating for many rights of IMGs that amongst others include; Political representation at local and national level, cultural heritage and safe guarding, Identity and recognition, formulation of a national policy on Ethnicity to highlight the needs and concerns of the IMGs, consider IMGs as Special interest Groups under PDM, SAGE and other government programs amongst others.

This year’s international day of the world’s indigenous people in Uganda was celebrated with the theme “Promoting the cultural rights of Indigenous minority groups in Uganda”