Titled Promise and Peril, the report documents distressing findings, highlighting the detrimental impact of large corporations like Toro Cement Limited on indigenous communities.
Green Deal's legal associate, Ronald Nampura, emphasized that the report aims to support local communities, particularly women human rights defenders and small-scale miners facing systemic injustices amid rampant exploitation of mineral resources.
“Seventy percent of land in Karamoja has been allocated for mining, yet much of it belongs to indigenous people who own it communally,” Nampura stated.
He condemned the reported evictions of local residents without adequate compensation, which he claims have destabilized traditional livelihoods and stripped communities of their ancestral lands.
The report outlines grave environmental degradation caused by mining activities, with pit holes leading to livestock deaths and significant noise pollution resulting in trauma among residents.
Nampura noted that the psychological toll is especially acute for women, with reports of increased stillbirth rates linked to the stress of living near mining operations.
The safety of women human rights defenders is another alarming aspect of the report.
These individuals often face harassment, threats, and arbitrary arrests when attempting to hold corporations accountable for their actions.
Green Deal has called on the Ugandan government to enforce the Minerals and Mining Act of 2022 and to conduct investigations into the reported human rights abuses.
Sophie Nangiro, Vice Chairperson of the Karamoja Artisan Miners Association, echoed these concerns, stating that many miners are being edged out of their communal lands with compensation rates that are grossly inadequate.
“When you compensate people with UGX 10 million per hectare, it’s often divided among as many as seven households,” she explained, emphasizing that the amount is insufficient to sustain the community's livelihood.
As mining activities proliferate, tensions over land ownership have escalated, complicating compensation processes and leading to conflicts within families and communities.
Nangiro warned that without fair compensation and sustainable development planning, the pastoralist culture of Karamoja is at risk of significant disruption.
In addition to these issues, Andrew Byaruhanga, Executive Director of Resource Rights Africa, highlighted the economic exploitation of local miners.
He pointed out that limestone miners in Moroto District are compensated as little as Shs 240,000 per truckload by transporters linked to foreign companies like Tororo Cement, while the limestone is sold at exorbitant prices.
This economic disparity reveals a troubling trend of local labor being undervalued as foreign entities reap substantial profits.
The report further reveals environmental devastation, with over 300 acres of deforestation attributed to mining operations, threatening the pastoral lifestyle of the local population.
Byaruhanga urged the government to enforce mining regulations and shift corporate social responsibility initiatives from superficial acts to genuine engagement with community stakeholders.
