Uganda

As natives continue to resist illegal evictions, multinational companies opt to hire livestock as a new tactic to forcefully evict smallholder farmers from their land.

The stolen land belonged to families that are part of the 35000 people being forcefully displaced by three multinational companies including Great Seasons SMC Limited, Agilis Partners Limited, and Kiryandongo Sugar Limited.

Opondo Cathy says agents of the multinational agribusiness company Agilis Partners took advantage of the last lockdown to rape her, torch her house and grab her land.

"La situation s'aggrave alors que les populations de districts entiers sont déplacées de force de leurs terres", indique un rapport du Denis Hurley Peace Institute

"Las élites ricas violan los derechos de los pobres al quedarse con sus tierras. El gobierno no hace nada al respecto. Por el contrario, promueve estas actividades"

A community land rights defender who was kidnapped from his home and tortured by Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF) soldiers guarding Kiryandongo Sugar Limited has been arraigned before a magistrate court in Kiryandongo district and charged with threatening violence.

The Silverlands I portfolio, the continent’s largest agricultural investment fund, includes primary production and beef and poultry assets across South Africa, Namibia, eSwatini, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Mozambique.

The abduction of villagers is part of the wider use of violence orchestrated by the police who are working for investors including Great Seasons SMC Limited and it is linked to the community’s resistance to a land grab.

Great Seasons SMC limited, owned by a Sudan investor based in Dubai, is one of three multinational companies evicting communities off their land for agribusiness investments without any legal process.

Atyaluk David Richard is among dozens of community land and environment defenders in Kiryandongo who are under trial because of their resistance to illegal evictions by multinational companies.

The joint venture by Wilmar, Josovina Commodities and Bidco Africa Ltd is establishing its second palm oil project on Buvuma Island and targets to have 1,000ha under trees this year and 5,000ha in four years

Since evictions started in 2017, communities have faced acts of violence meted against them by multinational companies from sexual violence against women, torture, beating, kidnap to illegal arrest and detention.