The oil discoveries in western Uganda the first country stirring up conflicts. Some are evicted, the other promises you riches - for her voice.
appeared in the taz Masindi / BULIISA
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Bank takes a barren stretch of land: Dry Bushes cast a few shadows. The air shimmers, deer dart across the street. "We have many animals here," Phares Ngambe smiles and points to the signs on the roadside, "Engege - 2,3 km" is written on. Engege means fish. The companies that drill for the black gold here, have the oil wells missed animal names. since 2006 years in the Albertine Graben drilling for oil. Estimates indicate that, where the continental plates drift apart, until slumber to 2.5 billion barrels of crude oil. Even under Ngambe village Kataleba geologists have encountered oil. Since then swirl truck the dust on the village road. Engineers lay cable like cobwebs from the cotton fields to survey the land. Tullow Oil just built a drilling rig, two kilometers from Ngambe house. The old man was until recently the village chief of Kataleba. In the settlement of small houses with corrugated iron roofs of the people live, the farmers of the Bagungu. Now the village chief has passed Ngambe the post to his eldest son. He had not felt the problems grew, he says, pointing to the mud huts with locked doors at the entrance: "Here, until recently, the Balaalo used to," he sighs. But then the government had driven out the semi-nomads, with their cattle herds. If Grace Barooroza thinks back to those mud huts rise, tears to her eyes. The 56-year-old ex-leader of the Balaalo takes off her glasses in order to blow themselves. She is now sitting in a restaurant in the city about 90 kilometers away Masindi, where they must report regularly to the police. From a pocket she pulled out a folder: court rulings and newspaper clippings with articles. In addition, a photo is printed: Barooroza with cut wounds on his shoulder and arm. She rolls up his sleeve: the scars are clearly visible.
Barooroza had settled in 2003 with 630 families in Balaalo Kataleba. "At that time there no one knew anything of the oil," she says. She had negotiated a deal with Ngambe. The village leader gave a portion of the cotton plantation for grazing land for the 50,000 cattle to the Balaalo. This built their mud houses and sold the Bagungu milk and meat. "We had no problems with each other," she says. Ngambe confirms this.
Then came in the parliamentary elections in 2006, a new deputy for the newly created district Buliisa to power in which is Kataleba: Stephen Biraahwa. The member of the Commodity Committee knew of the discoveries and opportunities scented, endearing himself to the ground and in Kampala. In the capital immediately came to the question: who lays claim to the land in the oil region? Biraahwa ordered the Balaalo, Buliisa leave. This is Bagungu country. In July 2007 he appeared before the mud huts in Kataleba, followed by angry Bagungu. He swung the machete and injured Barooroza. Barooroza was in the hospital when she received a call from the highest authority: the chief coordinator of the intelligence agencies, General David Tinyefuza, you set a deadline: the Balaalo were left to three days, Buliisa. Barooroza pulls out court documents. She Tinyefuza sued in the High Court Kampala for illegal eviction. An interim arrangement allowed the Balaalo to stay for now. Barooroza turned to President Yoweri Museveni. She met him personally: "He promised us compensation," she nods. This it has not to this day. 2008, the Supreme Court ruled against the Balaalo. Museveni gave the order for the operation of "justice": In December 2010, marched with a Tinyefuza soldiers and police in Kataleba. They drove the cattle, loading them on trucks and the Balaalo drove them away. "The government has decided, and this decision is final," said the intelligence chief. Borooroza was found in the police station in Masindi and again: "I had nothing more: the Bagungu killed my 182 cattle, the police moved into my house, I had to spend my money for bail," she sobs. Since then, it will be a monthly report to the authorities. "I wish they had never found oil," she says. In Katabela Biraahwa celebrates the expulsion as a victory for the Bagungu. In the school yard are set up speakers. Biraahwa holds a fiery speech: he promised paved roads and compensation. The Bagungu cheer. It is an election campaign and the candidate of the party Museveni NRM is hoped that the expulsion of the "squatters" Voters' comments: "These uneducated peasants did not know that one day steal any nomads their country," he rails. The Balaalo had been sent from relatives in exile, to take away the farmers the oil. The Western oil companies had first reported the occurrence in the media. Then, the exiles would have reacted, "This is unjust, and they must atone for those sins now," says Biraahwa and bundles of money distributed to the villagers. The village elder Ngambe does not trust the promises. He does not mention the election party. He had a guilty conscience he says. "The Balaalo have given us money for the country but we had an agreement." He had offered Tinyefuza to give the money back. "The land is yours", the General said. But he could be trusted? "Our clan ordered here for centuries in the fields." But there is no ownership documents. "When soldiers come and say you have to go what I can do about it?" The district headquarters Buliisa blossomed into a small town: New phone masts tower over the house, the first bank branch opened soon, Tullow Oil can be built on the outskirts of a hospital. But the joy over the sudden development gives way to disillusionment, so it seems. the Town-hall shows Afiego (African Institute for Energy Governance) a movie about land conflicts by oil discovery in Nigeria. Dozens of village chief and spokesman for the fishermen follow the documentary. Then comes to a debate: "We can not allow the politicians make the decisions for us," says one of the village chief. "If the oil contaminated the lake, which will become of us?" Asks the advocates of the fishermen. Kazimura Alice listens. She does not talk like she is better: As Tullow Oil in 2008 on the property of their neighbors met with oil, the government compensated these generous. He packed his belongings and set out. In his old garden, now is a drilling rig, surrounded by a fence, patrol the security people. "Back then I was wondering what will happen to us, we all have no idea of oil," she says and writes about the euphoria among the inhabitants: "They thought we can dig ourselves and oil bottle." Afiego learned from it: According to common law, the oil belongs to the state. The allowances have become increasingly lower. "I had to see. Either we win or we lose" She then founded the "oil-Forum. Since then it commutes between Kampala and Buliisa back and forth to switch between the Department of Energy and to give the farmers. Dickens Kamugisha, Afiego chief in Uganda cheers to the audience: "You have to be active and should not wait for the promises come true," he says. The village head and nod Fischer. Almost daily come candidates at election campaign through Buliisa. Even President Museveni was here. They all assure riches. "But no one says, how will the government will share these with the local communities," says Dickens. elections: Since 2006 the Irish company Tullow drilled and the Canadian company Heritage in the Albertine Graben. 2009 Tullow announced estimates of 2 billion barrels, which were increased in 2010 to 2.5. Heritage 2010 sold its exploration licenses in Tullow. There was a dispute with the government, which raised taxes on the sale price. Tullow announced for 2012 at the start of oil production. Two weeks ago the government decided at a refinery to build Albert.
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