Historical roots of militarised conservation: the case of Uganda

Abstract

This briefing engages the militarised conservation literature. Three factors key to understanding present militarised conservation in Uganda are discussed: colonial legacies, the country's post-colonial history of war and conflict, and the current militarisation under the Museveni government as exemplified in the military collaboration between the Uganda Wildlife Authority and the Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces. It argues that the debate about militarised conservation in today's Uganda has to be situated within the widening mandate of the military institution under the Museveni government, which came to power through the military path and then gradually militarised significant sections of society more broadly.