RDC Angalia halts illegal gold mining in Terego

Terego: The Resident District Commissioner (RDC) for Terego, Godwin Angalia Kasigwa, has taken decisive action to halt illegal gold mining activities in Onivu Village, Okavu Parish, Odupi Sub County.

This follows a joint operation involving the RDC, the District LCV, District Internal Security Officer (DISO), District Police Commander (DPC), Head of Natural Resources from the Regional Police in Arua, the technical team, and local leaders.

According to RDC Angalia, an unknown company had set up camp in Onivu for a week, clearing trees and diverting the river’s course without any official approval or prior engagement with the district authorities.

This prompted local leaders to intervene and stop the unauthorized activities.

“The unknown company had camped in Onivu for a week, cleared trees, and diverted the river route without any official entry meeting from the district, which led the leaders to take a fact-finding mission and halt the activities,” Angalia explained on Monday after the operation.

The enforcement team also stopped illegal mining being conducted by both refugees and locals in the area. Angalia urged anyone interested in mining to follow the proper channels and adhere to the legal requirements.

“Whoever is interested in mining activities must go through the proper procedures,” he emphasized, noting that illegal mining leads to environmental degradation, which ultimately costs the government significant resources to restore damaged lands.

The RDC made it clear that the government would not tolerate illegal mining in the region, stressing that such operations harm the environment and lead to financial losses for the country.

Terego LCV Chairman, Wilfred Saka, also expressed concern over the impact of illegal mining on the environment and the economy. He pledged to bring up the issue of wetland encroachment in the council, advocating for the implementation of stringent bylaws to protect these vital ecosystems.

Angalia’s actions coincide with a recent report by Uganda’s Auditor General, Edward Akol, which revealed widespread irregularities in the gold export industry.

The report highlighted that gold worth Shs11 trillion was exported without the necessary permits, violating the Mining and Minerals Act and depriving the government of significant revenue.

Uganda faces a revenue shortfall of Shs68.842 billion in unpaid export levies and an additional Shs439 billion in mineral rent fees yet to be collected.

The government has been urged to tighten enforcement of regulations to curb illegal mining activities and ensure that the mining sector contributes its fair share to the national economy.

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