Protect marginalised communities in the extractive Industry

Participants at a two days study workshop on extractive industries held in Uganda’s Tororo Archdiocese recently have asked the Church and society to do more in order to protect marginalised communities and the environment in the extractive industry.

In their recommendations at the end of the workshop, the participants called on the Church to play a bigger role on this issue since the magnitude of the problem is growing day by day.

“Some people think that poverty per se is the biggest enemy, but due to poverty we are faced with problems like deforestation and desertification,” said one of the participants. He added that “the Church must sensitise people on these effects and take action to change people’s attitudes.”

During the opening ceremony, the Secretary General of the Uganda Episcopal Conference (UEC) Monsignor John Kauta referring to the extractive industry said that few people benefit from natural resources leaving whole communities in countries marginalised. “The developers come to extract minerals but the people around don’t profit anything from the activities going on around the area,” he said.

Monsignor Kauta added that issues of major concern on extractives are land grabbing, displacement and exploitation of poor people. “There is land grabbing in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania in the name of development. The people who depend on their land for farming and sustenance lose their source of livelihood,” he stated. Citing an example in the Ugandan Diocese of Hoima where there is oil extraction, Monsignor Kauta said that there had been no payment or any form of compensation for people whose land was grabbed despite numerous protests. He called on the Church to appeal to parliamentarians who represent the people to implement projects that are helpful to people.

(By Pamela Adinda, AMECEA online reporter)

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