The plight of the Basongora

The Basongora are a pastoralist community that has lived a nomadic lifestyle for generations. They were the traditional inhabitants of the lowlands of the Kasese district until the Rwenzururu rebellion of the 1950s led to their displacement. They were almost totally evicted from their remaining pastures when the Queen Elizabeth national park was created.  They are now competing with their neighboring ethnic groups who are mainly cultivators, and have no alternative livelihoods. These endless tribal conflicts often lead to deaths. Furthermore there is tension between the Basongora and the government due to their denied access to Queen Elisabeth park for grazing. This came out in the open during my visit when they suddenly broke up from their virtual detention camp on the outskirts (see picture 002) and scattered all over the park as you can see on my photos - sleeping in the open among elephants and lions demonstrating both a sudden nomadic sense of freedom as well as their actual homelessness. Again we are here faced with the question of environmental racism vs. human racism
....and the interests of us affluent tourists and the remaining wild animals we want to preserve.