Very quick one here as we point you in the direction of an interview over on subject-specific website Oil In Uganda. Here, Commander of the country's Oil and Gas Protection Unit Abas Byakagaba tells Flavia Nalubega and Beatrice Ongode: “Don’t panic over security presence in the oil areas.”

The Protection Unit was set up to protect Uganda’s petroleum assets; Byakagaba is former head of the country’s Police Counter Terrorism Unit.

The interview’s worth a read for an unusual glimpse into the various ramifications of the discovery of oil and gas in Uganda, and for anyone interested in the specifics of what’s being done to safeguard development and ensure a stable platform for exploitation and development.

Highlights include:

- An overview of the work of the Oil and Gas Protection Unit
- Discussion of the question of human rights abuses by security forces
- Deployments
- Possible threats on oil and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels encamped in neighbouring DR Congo
- The Unit’s relationships with local communities
- Discussion of how NGOs might be allowed to operate unprotected areas.

ENDS

https://www.oilinuganda.org/features/interviews/dont-panic-over-security-...