afrol News, 19 October - Ugandan authorities have scrapped a project meant to sacrifice Africa's last pluvial habitats [Mabira Forest] to Mehta Group, an Indian company that owns Sugar Corporation of Uganda.

“We have committed ourselves to conserving Mabira Forest”, Ugandan Minister of Finance, Ezra Suruma, allayed fears.

Suruma divulged the news in Guyana during a dinner hosted by President Bharrat Jagdeo. Ugandan minister was attending the Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting on climate change in Guyana.

Uganda's Environment Minister, Beatrice Anywar Atim, who has been campaigning for the conservation of Mabira rain forest, received the news with delight.

“Wow, that is really good news for me and congratulations to the whole country. We must thank the government for listening to the voice of the people”, she said.

Attempts to transform a fourth of the Mabira rain forest into a sugarcane estate that will be used as a source of energy production had resulted to violent protests that claimed the lives of six people [five Ugandans and one Indian].

The issue became so tense that rights groups and religious bodies have asked the government not to go ahead with sacrificing Mabira Forest without sampling the opinions of the citizens through a referendum.

By staff writer

© afrol News

Related pages and feature

Current afrol News Top Stories