December 2007 • Issue 407



Lions poisoned in protest

Angry farmers evicted from Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park in advance of November’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting have taken to poisoning wildlife in retaliation, killing hordes of lions and hyenas. Scientists say it will take two decades to reverse the damage done in just 15 months.

According to veterinarian Ludwig Siefert, more than 80 per cent of the park’s hyenas have been killed and all the leopards along the Nyamusagani river have been poisoned. ‘We have also lost at least 11 lions,’ he told local media. Experts say the lion population in the park has decreased from 94 in 1999 to 39 today.

Wilson Okaali of the Basongora Group for Justice and Human Rights said authorities used excessive force in the evictions, and most of the land to which the Government advised the 8,000 displaced to move was already occupied.

In the capital Kampala, police claim to have arrested 600 people on charges of being ‘idle and disorderly’ in efforts to rid the city of ‘undesirables’ ahead of the Summit. Several kiosks and other ‘illegal’ structures were destroyed in the so-called ‘beautification exercise’.

Wairagala Wakabi




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Voices from the margins:

Multimedia: video, podcasts, and more.

House of Hunger Poetry Slam in Zimbabwe
Poetry Slam in Zimbabwe
The House of Hunger poetry slam held in Zimbabwe in 2006, and organised by the Pamberi Trust, showcased young artists performing inspirational work on issues from corporate power to child soldiers. The video features four of the poets.
Published by Pambazuka News.
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Iranian Women Speak Out
Iranian women speak out
3 March 2007, London. Women's rights activists marched through the English capital last week to celebrate International Women's Day with a protest against the misogyny of the Islamic regime in Iran and the threat of invasion by the US. Hear the voices of Iranian feminists Azar and Leila Parnian and the sounds of the demonstration as it passed through the heart of the city. Click here to learn more about the campaign.
Produced by Heidi Bachram.
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Benny from West Papua on Corporate Power
Vinayan from India on agriculture