E like me ka mea i hōʻike ʻia mai nei, noho weliweli ka poʻe Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) a me nā limahana i ka wā e hoʻouna ʻia ai ma Mt. ʻO Elgon National Park, e like me ka hoʻouka kaua ʻana e ka poʻe komo hewa i ke kānāwai, nā mea ʻaihue, a me nā ʻaihue lāʻau i hōʻeha iā lākou i nā ʻeha he nui a i kekahi mau make i ka wā e hoʻokō ana i kā lākou hana i ka pale ʻana i ka mālama ʻana, ka pale holoholona, a me ka mālama ʻana i kahi nui i paʻa i ka wai.

Eia naʻe, e like me ka nui o nā hihia, ʻelua ʻaoʻao i kēlā me kēia moʻolelo a ua hoʻāʻo ʻo Uganda Human Rights Network i ka pule i hala e hōʻino i nā hoʻolauleʻa UWA o ka UN Year of the Gorilla 2009 a me kā lākou hoʻolaha nui ʻia o ka hoʻolaha ʻo "Friend a Gorilla" i ka wā a lākou. Ua hoʻokuʻu ʻia kahi ʻaoʻao ākea i hoʻopaʻa ʻia a hoʻopaʻa ʻia e kūʻē i ke kino mālama holoholona hihiu. ʻO ka poʻe i kamaʻāina i ke ʻano o ka mauna ʻo Elgon mai ka wā i hoʻololi ʻia ai ke kūlana o ka paka mai kahi mālama mālama ʻole ʻia i kahi paka aupuni piha i ka makahiki 1993, nānā i nā mea, me kekahi mau kiʻi kiʻi o nā mea i hoʻomāinoino ʻia ma ka lima o UWA. limahana.

Wahi a ka noiʻi ponoʻī a eTN, i nā lā i hala iho nei ka nui maoli o ka mālama ululāʻau mua - a ʻo kahi pāka aupuni hoʻi ma kēlā ʻaoʻao o ka palena ma Kenya a me kahi ʻāpana o ka hana ma waena o UWA a me ka Kenya Wildlife Service - ua hoʻemi haʻahaʻa ʻia ma waena o 1923, a me ka manawa o ke kūʻokoʻa o Uganda i 1962, e hōʻike ana i ka ulu ʻana o ka lehulehu a me kā lākou noi no kahi ʻāina mahiʻai hou aʻe ma mua o ka manawa i lawe ʻia kahi kūlana e ke aupuni e kū i nā palena e kū nei inā mālama ka mālama i kekahi ʻano. ʻO ka pale ākea o ka ululāʻau mauna ma ke ʻano he paka ʻāina, ʻo ka ʻoiaʻiʻo, i manaʻo ʻia e hoʻomau i ke ola o nā kaiāulu kokoke a me nā Ugandans ma ke ʻano he nui, ʻoiai ke ʻike ʻia ka hana o ke kuahiwi ma ke ʻano he wahi paʻa wai, e ʻae ana i ka holo mau o ka wai i nā kahawai a me nā kahawai liʻiliʻi e puka mai ana mai Mt. Hoʻohana ʻia ʻo Elgon a hoʻohana ʻia no nā ʻano kumu like ʻole e nā homesteads a me nā kauhale i lalo.

Eia nō naʻe, mai ke kūʻokoʻa, ua ʻoi aku ka nui o ka heluna kanaka a puni ka paka ma mua o pākolu, a ʻoiai ke kanalua nei ka hoʻomau a me ka koi mau no ka wehe ʻana i ka pā no nā poʻe e noho ai, ua lilo ka pono e pale i nā kumu wai no kēlā mau helu i hoʻohui ʻia. ʻoi aku ka nui i kēia lā ma mua o 15 a 20 mau makahiki i hala. No laila, hoʻopaʻapaʻa ʻia e UWA a me ka ʻohana mālama mālama i ka hoʻokuʻu ʻana i ka pāka, a i ʻole nā ʻāpana o ia, i nā makahiki e hiki mai ana e hoʻonui i ke ola o nā kaiāulu a puni ka mauna i kahi maikaʻi, ma kahi o ka maikaʻi e like me ka ʻōlelo a nā mea ʻimi kūwaho politika a me nā mea hoʻowalewale e hoʻohiki nei. "Lani ma ka honua" i ka poʻe makemake e hoʻolohe a mākaukau hoʻi e hana i kā lākou koho ʻana ma o ka hoʻouka ʻana i nā hoʻouka kaua maʻamau i nā kahua hoʻomoana rangers a me nā wardens ma ka mākaʻi.

Ua ʻōlelo ʻo UWA ua hoʻomaʻemaʻe ʻia ma kahi o 2,000 hectares o ka ʻāina i noho kolohe ʻole ʻia a i mahi ʻia hoʻi, kahi mea i ʻōlelo ʻia he mea nui i ka pale ʻana i nā kumu wai a pale i nā hāʻule ʻana o ka ʻāina a me ka hoʻoneoneo o ka lepo, keu hoʻi me ka hoʻomaka ʻana o ka ua nui i hoʻoulu ʻia e N Nino. . Ke hoʻomaka nei ka ulu lāʻau a me nā hana hoʻoponopono e pili ana i kēlā mau wahi, e like me ka mea i kuhikuhi ʻia.

Ma ke kūkākūkā ʻana me ka luna hoʻokele o UWA ʻo Moses Mapesa, ua hōʻole ʻē ʻo ia i kekahi manaʻo a me nā ʻōlelo hoʻopiʻi e hana maʻa mau a hana hewa paha ʻo UWA i ka hana hoʻomāinoino a i ʻole nā hana extrajudicial a hōʻole ʻo ia ka hana a ka ʻahahui i nā manawa āpau e like me ka ʻōlelo i hōʻike ʻia. na kona mau hoa paio. ʻOiai ʻo ia ke alakaʻi o ka ʻoihana o ka hana ma mua o ke koho ʻia ʻana i ke kūlana CEO, a mahalo nui ʻia e like me ke kanaka hanohano a me ka ʻoiaʻiʻo, ʻaʻole wale ma Uganda akā ʻo ka ʻāpana nui o ʻApelika hikina, hāʻawi i ka hilinaʻi hou i kāna hōʻole.

ʻOiai ʻaʻole ʻo Mapesa e kāpae i ka hui pū ʻana o kēlā me kēia luna i ka ʻae ʻana i ka poʻe i ka pā e hana i nā shambas i kahi ʻano kolohe, ua hoʻohiki ʻo ia e lawe i kēlā poʻe limahana hewa i ka puke, ʻoiai ua hoʻohiki ʻo ia e alualu ma o nā mākaʻi a me nā kahawai kū kānāwai. ka poʻe nāna i hōʻeha a pepehi paha i kāna koʻokoʻo i nā pule a me nā mahina i hala.

Ua ʻōlelo ʻo Mapesa e hōʻike ana i kekahi o nā kiʻi i paʻi ʻia e nā mea hoʻoulu kuleana kanaka i ka pule i hala aku nei ʻo ia nō nā limahana o ka UWA i hōʻeha ʻia i ka wā o ka hoʻouka kaua ʻana a ʻaʻole ʻo nā kamaʻāina hala ʻole i haki ʻia e nā limahana o ka UWA a ua hāʻawi ʻia kēia mau kiʻi i ka pāpāho e UWA i mea hōʻoiaʻiʻo kēlā mau hoʻouka kaua ma luna o nā kiaʻi a me nā kahu.

I ka panina ʻana o kā mākou kamaʻilio ʻana, ua kau ʻo Mapesa i ka hewa ma ka puka o nā poʻe kālaiʻāina e ʻimi ana a me nā charlatans politika, nā mea i hoʻonāukiuki pinepine i ka lehulehu i ka makahiki 2000, 2001, 2005, a me nā mea i hala hope loa, a ʻo lākou nō ke kumu o ka hoʻokahe ʻia ʻana o ke koko i ka wā o nā hakakā o ka poʻe komo haunaele. nā mea ʻaihue, nā mahiʻai kū kānāwai ʻole, a me nā ʻaihue lāʻau ma kekahi ʻaoʻao a me nā luna hoʻokō kānāwai o UWA a me nā keʻena palekana ʻē aʻe ma kēlā ʻaoʻao.

ʻO kēia, ma ke ʻano like, ke ʻano like i ʻike ʻia e ka National Forest Authority, kahi i ʻike pū i kā lākou limahana o ke kahua ma lalo o ka hoʻouka kaua maʻamau ke hoʻāʻo nei e hoʻokō i ke kānāwai e hoʻomalu nei i nā mālama ulu waena. Ma mua o kēia pule, ua hoʻokuʻu hou aku ʻo NFA i nā kikoʻī e pili ana i ka hoʻouka hou ʻana o ka ululāʻau e pili ana i ka 6,000 hectares o nā ululāʻau i kiʻi ʻia ʻoiai ke noʻonoʻo nei ke aupuni i ka mea e hana ai a noho ana ma kona mau lima ma kahi o ke kākoʻo ikaika ʻana i ke kino kiaʻi kūloko o nā ululāʻau.

ʻO ka nūhou maikaʻi i kēia manawa ʻo UWA, me nā alakaʻi kaiāulu o ka pono, i hana i kahi palapala kuʻikahi me nā kauhale kokoke, kahi e ʻae ai i ka hoʻohana paʻa ʻia ʻana o nā ʻāpana palena o ka pā ulu lāʻau, e pili pū me ka mālama ʻana i ka pi, hōʻiliʻili o nā mea kanu lāʻau a me nā mea kanu, a me ka hoʻohana palena ʻia ʻana o ka lāʻau e nā mea pōmaikaʻi i koho ʻia i nā nui e hōʻoia ana i ka hoʻomau lōʻihi o kahi hui hoʻokele waiwai.

ʻO nā pōʻino e kū mai ana, me ka maka o nā koho balota 2011 ma Uganda, akā naʻe, ua kahakaha ʻia i ka wā o ka hui o PRO, i loko o kahi kau me nā mea nūpepa ma Bwindi nona iho i loko o ka pōʻaiapili o ka pane ʻana i kahi nīnau, hoʻolauna iā ia i kekahi o kāna mau pane akā ʻaʻole ia e huki hou ʻia i ke kumuhana. ʻO ka pāʻani ʻana me ka mālama ʻana no nā loaʻa politika pōkole hiki ke loaʻa nā hopena maikaʻi ʻole e like me ka hopena o ka hopena o ka wao nahele Mau a me ka luku ʻia ʻana ma o ka palena ma Kenya. Ma laila, no ka pono o nā balota, ua hoʻohuli makapō nā makaʻāina i nā makahiki he XNUMX e pili ana i nā pilikia e kupu nei a i kēia manawa ʻaʻole hiki ke hūnā hou ʻia ka hāʻule ʻana mai nā wahi paʻa wai kī ʻoi loa a ke hana nei ia i nā pilikia hou aʻe ma mua o ka kipaku ʻia ʻana paha. kahi hapalua o ka naʻau e hoʻomaka ana e puka mai ke aupuni ma Nairobi.

Nā kiʻi hou e hōʻike ana iā Mt. ʻO ko Kilimanjaro poʻo wale o ka hau a me ka hau, ka emi mau ʻana o nā icecaps o Rwenzori, a me nā pōʻai pinepine a me nā pōʻai kahe pinepine kahi ala hope loa - aia ke ola o ka wā lōʻihi o ke kanaka no ka manawa lōʻihi, a ʻo ka Copenhagen Climate Conference e hiki mai ana. ʻo ia ka hōʻailona akāka loa o ke koʻikoʻi o nā aupuni o nā lāhui i kūkulu ʻia, nā lāhui paepae, a me nā aupuni ʻApelika ponoʻī maoli e hoʻopakele i ka honua mai ka luku.

Hoʻomaka mau kēlā luku ma kahi pālākiō ma kekahi wahi, ʻo ia ke kumu e pono ai i ka UWA ke kākoʻo a me ke kākoʻo politika e pale aku ai i ka hoʻopili hou ʻana a me ka mahele ʻana ma ka Mt. Pāka Aupuni ʻo Elgon.

Ke ʻimi nei i nā pākaha hoʻolaha haʻahaʻa e like me nā mea a nā poʻe hoʻōla kuleana kanaka ponoʻī ʻaʻole nō ia ka ala i mua. ʻAʻohe o ka poʻe i lawe ʻia i ka ʻaha no ka hana ʻino ʻana i ke kino, no ka hoʻomāinoino, hoʻomāinoino, a pepehi kanaka a hiki i kēia manawa, a no ka nele paha o nā hōʻike e like me ka mea i hōʻike ʻē aʻe i kēia mau hoʻopiʻi i ka hoʻopiʻi a me nā lawehala. i hana ʻia.

I ka hopena, ua leo nui ʻia kēia mau manaʻo kikoʻī e kēlā mau ʻāpana o ka paʻi kūloko a me nā papaho uila i manaʻo ʻia he kuleana, ʻoiai kahi hui ʻokoʻa o nā pāpaho e hoʻāʻo nei e hoʻolilo i ke kapikala politika maʻalahi mai nā hanana kaumaha i ka wā i hoʻokalakupua ʻia i hoʻokahi ʻaoʻao. ke ʻano o nā hoʻopiʻi e kūʻē i ka Uganda Wildlife Authority a hoʻohana iā ia ma ke ʻano he kahua e hoʻouka kaua i ke aupuni ma nā mea āpau e pili ana i nā mea āpau.

He aha e lawe ʻia mai kēia ʻatikala:

According to eTN own research, in recent days the original size of the former forest reserve – incidentally also a national park across the border in Kenya and part of a trans-boundary cooperation between UWA and the Kenya Wildlife Service – was gradually reduced between 1923, and the time of Uganda's independence in 1962, reflecting growing populations and their requests for more agricultural land before eventually a position was taken by government that the existing boundaries would now have to stand if conservation was to retain any meaning at all.
The widened protection of the mountainous forest as a national park was, in fact, aimed to sustain the livelihood of neighboring communities and Ugandans as a whole, as even then the function of the mountain as a water catchment area was recognized, permitting the constant flow of water in streams and small rivers emerging from Mt.
Hence, it is argued by UWA and the conservation fraternity that letting go of the park, or even parts of it, would in coming years make the life of communities around the mountain much worse, instead of better as suggested by political opportunists and inciters promising “heaven on earth”.