UPDF Seals Off Mineral Deposit

Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) soldiers yesterday sealed off the marble mining site for DAO Marble Africa Limited in Moroto district.

Captain Isaac Oware, the 3rd Division UPDF spokesperson confirmed the deployment, saying the army moved in and cordoned off the site after receiving information about the likely destruction of property and lives at the site.

Oware, who didn’t divulge details, says the presence of the army at the site is meant to deter criminality. DAO has been mining marble from Rata village in Rupa Sub-county since 2013.

However, sources reveal that  Dfcu bank officials visited the site two weeks back after which they returned with heavily armed UPDF officers, who have since been deployed at the site for several days now.

Pharun Yday Patnaik, the former Chief Executive Officer of DAO Marble Africa limited declined to comment, saying he left the company in December last year. Andrew Mukiibi, a shareholder in DAO, says there are managerial issues that they are going to sort out soon.

However, Gabriel Data, a Principal Geologist with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, says they haven’t received any official communication regarding DAO and Dfcu.

DAO has been involved in disputes with its own staff, members of the community and Moroto district local government over the payment of salaries and royalties