Semuliki changes course, border
Oct 16, 2005
DENIS Baluku, a resident of Bweramule, Rwebisengo, Bundibugyo has to cross River Semuliki to cultivate his land, which was part of Uganda about six months ago. This has been caused by the alteration of Uganda’s border with DR Congo after River Semuliki that separates the two countries changed its
By Gerald Tenywa
DENIS Baluku, a resident of Bweramule, Rwebisengo, Bundibugyo has to cross River Semuliki to cultivate his land, which was part of Uganda about six months ago. This has been caused by the alteration of Uganda’s border with DR Congo after River Semuliki that separates the two countries changed its course.
About 10 square kilometres at Bweramule has been left on the DR Congo side of the border when the river shifted deep into Uganda.
“The land recession has led to disputes between the border communities,†said Dr. Aryamanya Mugisha who heads the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).
Mugisha said a report, which was compiled by officials of NEMA, confirmed that Ugandans have to cross the river by boat to cultivate on what used to be their land which is claimed to be in the DR Congo. He said the report would soon be discussed by Cabinet so as to resolve the matter.
According to the local community, officials in the DR Congo now charge a fee to these people cultivating across the river yet they are still on what is supposed to be Uganda’s territory. “There were even attempts by community members in Kabimbiri village to block the water that was about to break off their land but this attempt was foiled by a local chief across the Congo who even brought armed personnel to stop such interventions on the river banks by Ugandans,†said the report.
NEMA’s report attributed the change to excessive erosion arising from over stocking and overgrazing.
But Callist Tindimugaya, an expert in the Directorate of Water Development said melting of the snow on Mountain Rwenzori, which is caused by global warming, had also contributed to this problem. He said the water volumes in the river had increased and that the erosive power of the river had become greater in the recent years.
Semuliki has its origin in Congo and goes through lakes Edward, Albert and pours its water into Albert Nile on its way to Egypt.
For the first 40km, the river flows through heavily forested area, Semuliki National Park, which is part of the great Ituli forest that stretches over the vast area of the DR Congo. It is the only national park in Uganda comprised of tropical lowland forest and a continuation of the most extensive forest ecosystem on the African continent.
Being a rift valley, the land is quite flat, creating a startling physical contrast to the rugged Rwenzori Mountains nearby.
Semuliki is one of the main tributaries of river Nile which has regional and international importance with a number of initiatives by 10 different countries set up to use it in a sustainable manner.
“Cattle grazing is a main activity along the river banks both on the Uganda and the Congo sides of the border. On the Uganda side, however, the area has been overstocked and over grazed leading to severe trampling of the vegetation particularly the watering points on the river,†read the report.
On average, every five-kilometre stretch where the cattle watering points are located, there has been significant loss of vegetation cover leading to soil erosion and breakage of soil forming the river banks that collapse into the river, according to the report.
In Bweramule village where the degradation is most severe, some of the households were reported to own more than 5,000 heads of cattle each, which is an excessively high number.
DENIS Baluku, a resident of Bweramule, Rwebisengo, Bundibugyo has to cross River Semuliki to cultivate his land, which was part of Uganda about six months ago. This has been caused by the alteration of Uganda’s border with DR Congo after River Semuliki that separates the two countries changed its course.
About 10 square kilometres at Bweramule has been left on the DR Congo side of the border when the river shifted deep into Uganda.
“The land recession has led to disputes between the border communities,†said Dr. Aryamanya Mugisha who heads the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).
Mugisha said a report, which was compiled by officials of NEMA, confirmed that Ugandans have to cross the river by boat to cultivate on what used to be their land which is claimed to be in the DR Congo. He said the report would soon be discussed by Cabinet so as to resolve the matter.
According to the local community, officials in the DR Congo now charge a fee to these people cultivating across the river yet they are still on what is supposed to be Uganda’s territory. “There were even attempts by community members in Kabimbiri village to block the water that was about to break off their land but this attempt was foiled by a local chief across the Congo who even brought armed personnel to stop such interventions on the river banks by Ugandans,†said the report.
NEMA’s report attributed the change to excessive erosion arising from over stocking and overgrazing.
But Callist Tindimugaya, an expert in the Directorate of Water Development said melting of the snow on Mountain Rwenzori, which is caused by global warming, had also contributed to this problem. He said the water volumes in the river had increased and that the erosive power of the river had become greater in the recent years.
Semuliki has its origin in Congo and goes through lakes Edward, Albert and pours its water into Albert Nile on its way to Egypt.
For the first 40km, the river flows through heavily forested area, Semuliki National Park, which is part of the great Ituli forest that stretches over the vast area of the DR Congo. It is the only national park in Uganda comprised of tropical lowland forest and a continuation of the most extensive forest ecosystem on the African continent.
Being a rift valley, the land is quite flat, creating a startling physical contrast to the rugged Rwenzori Mountains nearby.
Semuliki is one of the main tributaries of river Nile which has regional and international importance with a number of initiatives by 10 different countries set up to use it in a sustainable manner.
“Cattle grazing is a main activity along the river banks both on the Uganda and the Congo sides of the border. On the Uganda side, however, the area has been overstocked and over grazed leading to severe trampling of the vegetation particularly the watering points on the river,†read the report.
On average, every five-kilometre stretch where the cattle watering points are located, there has been significant loss of vegetation cover leading to soil erosion and breakage of soil forming the river banks that collapse into the river, according to the report.
In Bweramule village where the degradation is most severe, some of the households were reported to own more than 5,000 heads of cattle each, which is an excessively high number.