Acholi Paramount Chief Rwot David Onen Acana II has raised concerns over the current development surrounding the establishment of Blencowe Resources PLC, a graphite mining facility in Orom sub-county in Kitgum district.
Rwot Acana II made these remarks on April 4, 2024, during an interview with journalists, adding that there is conflict of interest among civil and political leaders in the district and that cultural leaders too, whose role would have been to mobilize the subjects to embrace the project, have been sidelined.
He said that the deliberate silence of the leaders and their denied access to information about the project creates a lot of suspicion about a possible move to deny the neighboring communities their entitlements and rights, including compensation.
‘’Me and my subjects have been left in the dark for too long, yet graphite mining is already taking place in Orom sub-county, but no profits have been given to the chiefdom’’ Rwot Acana II commented.
He added that there have been ongoing rumors about the sub-region having large deposits of oil and gas and other valuable minerals like uranium, but such information is also limited to a few individuals, while the locals and leaders never get to know the details.
Rwot Acana II also urged the government and the licensed mining company to provide clear information on the compensation plans for the locals in Kitgum because they are worried about being left with nothing.
The Orom graphite is projected to be the purest in the world, with an estimated mining period of 70 years, which has led Rwot Acana II to question why the Acholi Chiefdom has not gotten any profits from it yet thousands of tons of graphite have been shipped outside the country.
