The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, security institutions and communities to combat wildlife and forest-related crimes in the West Nile region.
The call was made during the eighth strategic awareness and engagement meeting of the National Anti-Wildlife Crime Task Force held in Arua City, where stakeholders discussed measures to strengthen coordination and collective action against wildlife and forest crime.
Hope Asimwe, a forest officer at the Ministry of Water and Environment and acting chairperson of the National Wildlife Crime Coordination Task Force, stressed the need for closer cooperation among the 14 government agencies that constitute the task force.
Asimwe said stronger coordination would facilitate joint planning and operations while enhancing efforts to prevent and combat wildlife and forest-related crimes.
She also urged communities across West Nile to report challenges affecting wildlife and forest conservation, saying such information would help government agencies and other stakeholders identify and address the problems collectively.
The Resident City Commissioner of Arua City, Rtd. Maj. Betty Otekat Akello, who was the chief guest, welcomed the task force and described the engagement as strategic and timely.
Otekat said West Nile’s proximity to Uganda’s international borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan makes closer cooperation among security, conservation and environmental agencies critical in tackling wildlife and forest-related crimes.
She called for increased efforts to protect Uganda’s natural heritage, which contributes to the country’s reputation as the “Pearl of Africa.”
The Acting Chief Warden and Senior Warden, Wilson Katamigwa, also welcomed the task force to the Murchison Falls Conservation Area, Uganda’s largest protected area, whose jurisdiction extends into the West Nile region.
Katamigwa assured participants of continued efforts to safeguard biodiversity and encouraged stakeholders to promote local tourism by participating in the Open Parks Days scheduled for September 25–27, 2026.
The two-day engagement, held at Tropical Hotel in Arua, was organised by UWA in partnership with the National Anti-Wildlife Crime Task Force, with support from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The meeting brought together Resident City Commissioners, Resident District Commissioners and their assistants, security agencies, conservation authorities and local leaders from across the West Nile region.
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