Uganda: FIAN urges German Neumann Kaffee Gruppe to settle land conflict peacefully

"Neumann should not try to impede the upcoming land survey, as this technical measure will contribute to increased transparency of the real land tenure and legal land rights situation," said Martin Wolpold-Bosien of FIAN International.

In August 2001, the Ugandan army violently forced more than 2,000 people off their land in the district of Mubende. This land was then leased to Kaweri Coffee Plantation Ltd, a subsidiary of the German coffee company Neumann Kaffee Gruppe. Kaweri used this land to establish Uganda's first large-scale coffee plantation. The evictees have neither been compensated for the total loss of their land and properties nor for the hardship which they had to face after the eviction. FIAN has supported the evictees in their peaceful struggle for justice since 2002.

The upcoming survey is a legal procedure and a necessary last step to register the land title of one of the evictees. However, in a recent communication to FIAN, Neumann Kaffee Gruppe expressed their opposition to the planned land survey.

"There is no reasonable argument against such a measure. Therefore, we urge Neumann to avoid any obstacle or impediment, especially by the use of force or violence, to the realisation of the land survey," said Gertrud Falk of FIAN.

Since the violent eviction, Peter Kayiira, the representative of the evictees, has engaged himself tirelessly as a human rights defender to get legal redress for the destruction of the property and for the suffering of the evictees. However, in their recent communication, Neumann Kaffee Gruppe questioned Mr. Kayiira identity as a human rights defender.

"Mr. Kayiira tirelessly supports the evictees of the former villages Kitemba, Kiryamakobe, Luwunga and Kijunga whose human rights have been violated," stressed Martin Wolpold-Bosien. "We advice Neumann Kaffee Gruppe to fully recognize Mr. Kayiira as a human rights defender and to act accordingly."

The next court hearing is scheduled for March 28, 2012. FIAN strongly believes that the persistent impunity of right to food violations since the forced eviction in 2001 needs to be addressed and overcome by Ugandan justice.