Following the end of the harvesting season, Uganda wildlife authority, under the guidance of the minister of Tourism, wildlife and heritage, is to commence eviction of people that are living insideEast Madiwildlife Reserve.
It will be recalled that the evictions were initially planned to take place in 2011 but were postponed to allow the encroachers harvest their crops as requested by the district leaders. The executive director of Uganda Wildlife Authority Andrew Seguya says that adequate warnings have been given to the encroachers regarding the impending exercise.
East Madi Wildlife Reserve is a gazetted protected area under statutory instrument no. 049 of 2011 and the Uganda Wildlife Authority is mandated to manage it effectively and efficiently to enable it perform the functions for which it was gazetted.
Seguya says that the eviction will begin on Thursday 9th February 2012. The Uganda Wildlife Authority will be working closely with the Uganda Police, UPDF and the district leaders of Amuru and Adjuman to carry out the eviction exercise. The affect members of the public have been requested to leave the reserve voluntarily.