A look into the famine of Isingiro district!

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Our economy is on a downward trend. The majority are hurting. Businesses are closing. Tax collections are down. Citizens are dying of famine in Karamoja and Isingiro, so far. But the President is quiet, only busy campaigning and buying votes for 2021 and wasting our scarce resources on numerous useless foreign trips” (Wafula Oguttu, 28.10.2016).

“Climate: Equatorial climate with Mean annual rainfall of 1,200mm and temperature range between 170C to 300C. Rain season during the months of March to April and September to November” (Isingiro District Economic Profile – Ministry of Trade Industry & Cooperatives, www.mtic.go.ug ). So you can see that the estimated rain has not come to the district as the rainy season has not happen and the annual rainfall must be less or none of what is expected in Isingiro. Therefore the draught and hunger happens as the government has none or no services or relief to their citizens. Therefore the dire reports is to show how neglectful and spread the news of the failure of the NRM and their 30 years an counting President delivers steady regress on yet another field.

“We shall get water from River Kagera but we have some problem with Tanzania, we wanted to build a power dam on River Kagera but they delayed to agree to the deal, that river is not ours only, it is shared. There is, however, a new leadership (in Tanzania). Let us see how we work with them. If it will not be possible, we shall turn to River Rwizi and Lake Nakivale,”Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on 11th January 2016 in Isingiro District during his campaign earlier this year.

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There are reports of famine and hunger crisis in Isingiro district in Uganda. Just of yesterday alone there people dying and that is just the beginning. This is a district that has been famous for great production of Banana (Matooki) farming, the worst hit district in Isingiro region is Bukahanga County. The river that has been necessary for watering the fields have become dry and less viable that is River Kagera; the severe draught has also caused the deaths of livestocks of the district as well.

On the 19th October it was reported that 9 people had died. On the 29th October 13 people died this last week.

“People in Isingiro district are dyeing due to total famine in the area, the famine in the area has been caused by prolonged drought in the area which is said to have been caused by swamp drainage and forest encroachment in the area, tens of people have already kicked the bucket in the county of Bukanga and others are following“ (Stillhope Foundation, 25.10.2016).

“Following a huge calamity that befell Isingiro district, in terms of floods, draught and hail storms most people have been seen leaving the district to other neighboring district for safety. Most affected sub counties include Bukanga, Kashumba,Rushasha, Ngarama, Rugaaga among others” (Glory 106.7 FM, 28.10.2016).

Just as the dying livestock, the number of cows that has died been reported up to 5,000 and the draught the prices of food is evolving, like a cow cost now 20,000 shillings. There reports that school children suffer through classes as they are not able to focus through class and memorize the knowledge, as they are suffering through the classes with empty stomachs. By October this draught has lasted for 7 months and still counting. There been also reports that the people of Isingiro now walk for 20 kilometers for water needed to boil their food, as the reports are even of people eating raw Papaya or Paw Paw to redeem their hunger for a while.

While this is happening there are no words from the Local Councilor (LCV) Jeremiah Kamurari over the draught or the famine. The utter silence from the state shows the desperation of the matter.

Old report of the River Kagera water system:

Kagera Water System: The secondary and tertiary tributaries of the water system are U-shaped with permanent and seasonal swamps and drains into Kagera River. It drains the parts of Bukanga and Isingiro Counties” (…) “The permanent swamps are dominated by Cyperus and Typha domingesis while the seasonal flooding edges and enchroached parts of wetlands are occupied by the sedges. The floating vegetation occurs in open waters especially the invasive weed of the water hyacinth which still exists in River Kagera, Kizimbi wetland and River Rwizi” (…) “Kagera System – Threats: Degraded river bank – with seasonal crops. Opening of virgin area for agriculture. A lot of siltation. Water hyacinth” (Jeconius Musingwe and Godfrey Rugyema – ‘FINAL DRAFT MBARARA DISTRICT WETLAND INVENTORY REPORT’ (P: 8, 11 & 17), September 2002).

With this in mind, the knowledge of making the Kagera Water System, that could lead into dangers, which are now evident. It is man-made created, not climate-change, but local produced water system that the drainage and river bank doesn’t work like they did, because of the local change of flow of water and such. We can question if the project and drainage together with the loss of rain has made the draught much worse. The implication if is there was a drainage and project on the River Kagera, than the draught might had less impact; that is something should be discussed and not forgotten. The man-made problems are not new anywhere, it is just about the happen and this time it was in Isingiro district. The sad thing is that families are powerless towards the Government and their will. The same is the Government is powerless to change weather and the rain falling from the sky.

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The good news from the district is that the Government has been able in recent month to build a Staff Quarter for the Isingiro Government Prison. So the Government has been able to do something, but not to get food for the starving public or gain interest of the media to see if the Central Government in Parliament to act upon the hunger. They are just waiting for the gravy train together with Tanzania, because of building a Power Dam, instead of thinking of the agricultural value and the livestock that is dying in the area. This is something to pound on? Yes! People should be more important than a Power Dam. Though the NRM seems to think differently; that is proven as the draught and such has not changed the behavior of the regime. Peace!   

Uganda: Press Release – “Misuse of Sirens, Roof Lights and Right of Way” (29.10.2016)

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South Sudan: Juba International Airport staff calls for an Open-Strike (28.10.2016)

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UCC wants to silence NTV’s Frank Gashumba (Letter: CMM/99/14 – 10.10.2016)

NTV Uganda 10.10.2016

Communique de la Septieme Reunion de haut niveau du Mecanisme Regional de suivi de l’Accord-cadre pour la paix, la Securite et la Cooperation pour la Republique Democratique du Congo et la Region (26.10.2016)

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Khartoum signals it is ready to send troops to border with South Sudan (Youtube-Clip)

Sudan says it’s willing to send troops to its southern border with South Sudan – in a joint effort to halt cross-border attack by rebels. At the weekend President Omar al-Bashir called on South Sudan to ensure rebels operating in that country are forced out. The new proposal would mean South Sudanese and Sudanese troops will both patrol the border. Juba has welcomed the suggestion. Border tensions between Sudan and South Sudan have been the main obstacle to ensuring peace between the two countries. Both are calling for a stronger show of willingness to end that tension” (CCTV Africa, 2016)

FAO’s Situation Report on South Sudan (24.10.2016)

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South Sudan: Dangerous rise in ethnic hate speech must be reined in Zeid (25.10.2016)

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GENEVA (25 October 2016) – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein on Tuesday warned that rising ethnic rhetoric, hate speech and incitement to violence against certain ethnic groups in South Sudan is highly dangerous and could result in mass atrocities if not reined in by community and political leaders at the highest levels.

Over the past two weeks, letters with graphic warnings of violence against people from the Equatoria region were left outside the gates of humanitarian organisations in Aweil West, in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state in the north-western part of the country. The letters, purportedly written by individuals from the Dinka community, warned Equatorians to leave or be “eliminated”, with threats of violence, mutilation and murder. Certain State officials in the region have also reportedly joined in the hate speech. An Equatorian staff member of a humanitarian organisation was attacked on 16 October in Aweil Town and 92 staff members of humanitarian organisations have been evacuated from Aweil and 12 from Bor.

The threats emerged in reaction to the killing of an unconfirmed number of Dinka civilians travelling to Juba by bus on 8 October, and an attack against another three buses on 10 October. Rumours circulated on social media about the number of civilians killed, calling for revenge attacks against Equatorians.

“Hateful ethnic rhetoric in South Sudan – particularly if it is exploited for political purposes – can have devastating consequences for entire communities, quickly spiralling into a cycle of revenge attacks,” High Commissioner Zeid said. I urge President Salva Kiir and all political and community leaders with influence to urgently and unambiguously condemn the incitement to violence and to take urgent measures to defuse the tensions.

“One important step would be to promptly and transparently investigate the violence of 8 and 10 October, and to hold perpetrators individually criminally responsible,” Zeid added. “Those who are behind these terrible threats against Equatorians must also be held to account.”

Zeid welcomed the press statement issued by the Acting Governor of Aweil State, in which he called on all citizens to “join the Government in condemnation of these alleged threats directed towards our Equatorian brothers and sisters.” But the High Commissioner expressed concern at a statement by President Kiir on 19 October, in which the President said he would personally lead military operations against the armed groups responsible for the killings in the region. The statement has widely been interpreted as ethnically driven.

ENDS

The term Equatorian refers to people, from a number of different tribes, in the South Sudanese states of Central Equatoria, Western Equatoria and Eastern Equatoria.