Uganda’s Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Norbert Mao, has called for compensation of victims of brutality by security organs charged with policing the water bodies.
Mao, who also chairs the Cabinet Standing Committee on Human Rights, said that reports of human rights violations in fishing communities are rampant and require due attention.
“The provisions of human rights are not suggestions, they are non-negotiable and I believe that where there is a cause, we can recommend to the President to consider ex-gratia compensation. Because these are citizens; some have been maimed, some breadwinners have died,” said Mao.
Mao was speaking before the Committee on Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, on Wednesday, 31 2024 where gave guidance on the petition of the Fish Maws and Traders Association.
Mao criticised the operations of the Fishing Protection Unit of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces, which he said lacked the training to deal with citizens, and was thus escalating human rights violations.
“The UPDF has been playing a supportive role to curb illegal fishing, but it is not trained naturally to handle the stubborn villagers and fishermen. Like the armies all over the world, the UPDF is trained to act in combat situations, they start with force and continue escalating the force progressively. They are, therefore, unsuitable for this task,” said Mao.
According to Mao, the lasting solution to the brutalities on water bodies is the Implementation of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2022, which creates the Fisheries, Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance Unit to replace the UPDF.
“As a ministry, we are concerned that to date the Fisheries, Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance Unit has not yet been established. We do believe that once this gap is filled, there will be no justification for UPDF to be on the water bodies,” he said.