Q : Could you say a few words about yourself ?
A : I am 40 years old and a mother of seven children. I am a fisherwoman from Acholi tribe, from Northern part of Uganda. I fish at the Nangoma fishing site in Mukono District.

Q : How does criminalization occur within your community ?
A : For the past 8-9 years, we are witnessing increased incidences of criminalization of fishers by the Uganda People’s Defence Force, the police, and also others who are not fishers. These actors, who come in different means of transportation – sometimes by boats, other times by vehicles, motorcycles, etc. ask for fishing papers and permits. If you don’t have it, they say you are doing illegal fishing and they destroy your boats, confiscate your fish, and demand money which you cannot afford in your life. You need money to rescue yourself. But where to get such money ? They can even beat you, torture you, they can even destroy your life. There have even been incidences of killings.

Q. And why is this a human rights issue ?
A. For us, water is not only a source of livelihood, it is our culture, our way of life, and it makes who we fishers are. Our whole existence is threatened by criminalization, threatening our right to life, our cultural rights, our right to food, etc. When a fisher is criminalized, we support this person by collecting money and seek ways to rescue this person.

Our whole existence is threatened by criminalization

Q : What are some concrete changes you see in your life due to increased criminalization and how do you counter ?
A : ince increased criminalization, we are forced to depend on other means of subsistence – not just fishing, but gardening and farming to get some food on the plate. I also do small-scale farming. This is how we sustain our lives. But as I mentioned earlier, water is the source of our lives and I must defend. This is my role as a human rights defender. As a human rights defender, I get my strength through knowing what my rights are and how to defend them. Knowing that others, such as local leaders, support organizations such as Katosi, FIAN Uganda, and NETPIL (Network of Public Interest Lawyers) are there to assist, if necessary, also gives me encouragement. We are together. As human rights defenders, we have challenges but if we are in contact together, everything is easy.

Q : Could you share any additional challenges you face as fishers ?
A : In May 2020, I was attacked by a woman and an angry mob at the landing site. This woman accused me of practicing witchcraft. She said that I “picked her children’s brain and gave it to my own children” and because of this, her children cannot go to school. I could not believe what she was saying. The mob attacked me with pangas, sticks and stones, destroying all the fish I caught. They were all yelling at me and demanding me to leave the place. Then the police was called in. I stayed with the police for two days and the police made sure my children were safe at this time. I then called Katosi Women Development Trust for support. As a member of the Trust, I knew they would help me. They came very quickly and brought me to an elementary school where I stayed for 2 weeks, provided me everything (food, materials for sleeping, clothes, etc.), and then took me to another landing site where I am residing now with my family.

Q : Why did the woman accuse you of being a witch ?
A : She accused me of being a witch because she saw I was hard working and was able to make a living from fishing. And because my children go to school. She did not want me to work and did not want my children to be educated because she was not working and was staying at home. Unfortunately, this is a common practice in Uganda. Women can be easily branded as witches if others are unhappy with your accomplishment.

Q : What do you demand from the Ugandan government and other actors such as the United Nations ?
A:My demand to the Ugandan government, but also to the United Nations and others, is to bring more trainings on the landing sites about human rights, so each and everyone understands human rights, the right to food, the right to school, the right to work, more trainings on human rights are necessary. Men and female fishers together should take part in trainings.

Q : Do you have a message to fellow human rights defenders in your country ?
A : My message to other fishers at the landing sites is - Let them fight for their human rights, they should have human rights organisations to assist them. Collectively, we are much stronger. With my fellow fishers, I show them what to do and where to go when criminalization happens. I talk to them when others face similar situations.. Others do not know and are not aware of their rights. I just go and talk to them. I fight against the stigma faced by other fisherwoman We shall fight against a belief that a person who is hard working is a witch (and it should be abandoned).

This interview is an extract of the annual magazine of FIAN Belgium Beet The System : Defend the defenders, Stop à la criminalisation des défenseureuses du droit à l’alimentation, FIAN (2023), p.44