President Yoweri Museveni has vowed to take action against people encroaching on and destroying Zoka Central Forest Reserve in Adjumani district, warning that the government will not allow the protected forest to disappear.

Museveni, who is also the National Resistance Movement (NRM) chairman, made the remarks on Tuesday while addressing voters at Paridi Stadium in Adjumani.

The President said he was shocked by the extent of forest degradation after observing Zoka from a helicopter while travelling from Entebbe.

“Whenever I come to Adjumani from Entebbe by helicopter, I pass over Zoka Forest, but today when I looked through the window, there was no Zoka. I thought I was lost. What happened to Zoka?” Museveni asked.

He then sought an explanation from the NRM chairperson in Adjumani, Charles Akuku, who attributed the disappearance of the forest cover to encroachment and settlement inside the reserve.

Akuku told the President that more than 500 people had reportedly settled inside the protected area.

In response, Museveni warned that the government would confront those responsible for destroying the forest.

“We are going to have war with them,” the President said.

The remarks come amid growing concern over the rapid degradation of Zoka Central Forest Reserve, one of the key natural forests in the West Nile sub-region.

Also read: Madi community accuses UPDF of fueling Zoka land conflict with Acholi settlers

The Adjumani district council has since passed a resolution calling for urgent measures to protect and restore the reserve following revelations of extensive illegal activities inside the protected area.

Among the resolutions is the immediate eviction of illegal encroachers and the opening and clear marking of the boundaries of Zoka Central Forest Reserve.

The council also called for stronger enforcement of forestry laws and closer coordination between government agencies, district leaders, cultural institutions and communities to halt further destruction.

Adjumani District Chairperson John Anyanzo Ambayo, said the level of degradation in the reserve was currently estimated at about 30 per cent.

He said the district council’s resolution was intended to complement ongoing efforts by Parliament and other stakeholders to protect the forest.

Parliamentary alarm

The district’s action follows a fact-finding visit by the Parliamentary Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, which recently assessed the condition of Zoka Central Forest Reserve.

The committee, led by its chairperson, Dan Kimosho, and deputy chairperson, Ann Nankabirwa, visited the forest alongside district leaders, councillors, security officials, technical officers, cultural leaders, conservation groups and community members.

Also read: UPDF under fire as illegal logging and charcoal trade ravage Zoka Forest

The visit exposed extensive human activity inside the reserve, including illegal logging, charcoal burning, farming and encroachment.

The committee also found makeshift camps reportedly occupied by illegal loggers and charcoal dealers. Women and children were also seen in some of the settlements, raising concerns about the growing nature of human habitation inside the protected area.

The presence of settlements, district leaders say, makes enforcement more complicated and increases the risk of further destruction of the forest.

Ambayo said opening and clearly marking the boundaries would help communities understand the limits of the protected area and enable authorities to identify and deal with encroachment more effectively.

The district council’s resolutions now put pressure on responsible government agencies to enforce the law while balancing conservation measures with the concerns of communities living around the forest.

The developments have also renewed calls for stronger protection of Zoka, amid concerns that continued logging, charcoal production and agricultural expansion could further reduce the forest cover if urgent action is not taken.