KENYA
The Mau forest in Kenya has become a centre of controversy. Environmentalists allege that the Kenyan government has failed to prevent deforestation in the area, despite a ban issued by the Kenya high court.
The Mau forest is a reserve area and home to some 10,000 Ogiek indigenous people. "The Kenyan government is forcing the Ogieks out of the forest saying that the area is protected under the country's forest act. On the other hand, it is also allowing powerful logging companies to cut down trees in the forest,' say several non-governmental organisations (ngos).
The high court of Kenya issued an injunction on October 15, 1997, stopping the demarcation and allocation of land in east Mau. "By defying the court's order, the Kenyan government has shown a callous disregard for the rule of law,' says Bobson Wong, executive director of the New York-based Digital Freedom Network, one of the many ngos supporting the Ogiek people.
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