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29-536: Rwenzori Mountains National Park was established in 1991. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 because of its outstanding natural beauty. Rebel militias occupied the Rwenzori Mountains from 1997 to June 2001. The park was inscribed on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger between 1999 and 2004 because of insecurity and a lack of resources in the park. Rwenzori Mountains National Park

58-471: A separate district, it eventually became a movement to secede and form their own kingdom. The Rwenzururu Freedom movement declared an independent Kingdom of Rwenzururu on 30 June 1962, three months before national independence, with Isaya Mukirania as the Omusinga (king). The violence reached a height in 1963 and 1964, when Tooro soldiers massacred many Konjo and Amba people as they sought to control

87-401: Is 996 square kilometres (385 sq mi) in size, 70 percent of which exceeds an altitude of 2,500 metres (8,200 ft). The park is 120 kilometres (75 mi) long and 48 kilometres (30 mi) wide. The park includes most of the centre and eastern half of the Rwenzori Mountains, a mountain range rising above dry plains located just north of the equator. Those mountains are higher than

116-635: Is a seven-day circuit of the park. The park has many species that are endemic to the Albertine Rift system, and there are several endangered species in the park. It has a high diversity of plants and trees. The park is noted for its botany, which has been described as some of the most beautiful in the world. There are five distinct vegetation zones in the park, which change according to changes in altitude. The park has 89 species of birds, 15 species of butterfly, and four primate species. The park's wildlife varies with elevation, and its species include

145-614: Is also the name given to the region the kingdom is located in. Rwenzururu's first Omusinga (king), Isaya Mukirania (Kibanzanga I), declared independence from the Tooro Kingdom on 30 June 1962. However, the Ugandan government did not officially recognise the kingdom's legitimacy until 17 March 2008. The Rwenzururu region is inhabited by the Konjo and Amba peoples . In the early 20th century, these two tribes were integrated into

174-653: Is located in south-western Uganda on the east side of the western (Albertine) African rift valley . It lies along Uganda's border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and borders the DRC's Virunga National Park , also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for 50 km (31 mi). It is situated in the Bundibugyo , Kabarole , and Kasese districts, 25 km (16 mi) from the small city of Kasese . It

203-440: Is owned by the Ugandan government through Uganda National Parks. It is protected, although extraction may be sanctioned by a board of trustees. Kasese, 437 km (260 mi) west of Uganda's capital Kampala , is the gateway to the park. The town has hotels and lodges, while the park has camping, a good trail network, and huts for hikers. The park has trekking and climbing routes, several with unusual scenery. The most popular trek

232-479: The Alps and are ice-capped. Mount Stanley is located in the park. Margherita Peak, one of Mount Stanley's twin summits, is Africa's third highest peak with a height of 5,109 metres (16,762 ft). Africa's fourth and fifth highest peaks ( Mount Speke and Mount Baker ) are also located in the park. The park has glaciers, snowfields, waterfalls, and lakes and is one of Africa's most beautiful mountain areas. The park

261-531: The Omusinga (king). It further found that there is no historical claim for a Rwenzururu kingdom or a group of people called Banyarwenzururu, but recommended that the government bow to the wishes of the people. Pursuant to these recommendations, on 17 March 2008 the Ugandan cabinet endorsed the Kingdom of Rwenzururu as a cultural institution and crowned Mumbere as Omusinga Irema-Ngoma I. Three contenders for

290-455: The forest elephant , chimpanzee , hyrax , black-and-white colobus , L'Hoest's monkeys , Ruwenzori duiker , and Rwenzori turaco . Rwenzururu movement The Rwenzururu movement was an armed secessionist movement active in southwest Uganda , in the subnational kingdom of Tooro . The group was made up of Konjo and Amba fighters and was led by Isaya Mukirania . It disbanded in 1982 following successful peace negotiations with

319-531: The 1960s, the Rwenzururu Freedom movement began to shift its objective from creating a separate district to creating a fully independent kingdom, and on 30 June 1962, the movement declared an independent Kingdom of Rwenzururu with Isaya Mukirania as the Omusinga of Rwenzururu , three months before the independence of Uganda. The violence reached its height in 1963 and 1964, when Tooro soldiers massacred Bakonjo and Baamba as they sought control over

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348-637: The Baganda monarchist Allied Democratic Movement in order to give these latter organizations a local constituency, creating the Allied Democratic Forces . Charles Mumbere was installed as the Omusinga wa Rwenzururu after the death of his father ( Isaya Mukirania by the clan leaders and the elders. In 2001, the Bakonzo asked the Ugandan government for their own state. A survey carried out by Makerere University found that 87% of

377-632: The Buganda monarchist Allied Democratic Movement in order to give these latter organisations a local constituency, creating the Allied Democratic Forces . Kingdom of Rwenzururu in Uganda  (pink) Rwenzururu is a subnational kingdom in western Uganda , located in the Rwenzori Mountains on the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo . It includes the districts of Bundibugyo , Kasese and Ntoroko . Rwenzururu

406-578: The Omukama. They were released on bail on July 19, 1962. After their request was denied by the colonial authorities, the Bakonjo and Baamba launched a low-intensity guerrilla war that continued through independence after the Milton Obote regime warned them against secession. The movement carrying out the armed struggle was named " Rwenzururu ". While the movement began to achieve recognition as

435-653: The Tooro District. The movement declared that they were not part of the Tooro Kingdom on 30 June 1962, three months before national independence. The Bakonzo and Baamba were serfs under Tooro Kingdom. Tooro controlled the Lake Katwe and the Kasenyi crater lakes where salt was mined. The Batooro only taught their language in schools. Bursaries and scholarships, tax assessor positions, senior positions in

464-578: The Tooro Kingdom as a political maneuver by the British colonialists: the neighboring Bunyoro monarchy was anti-colonialist and the British wished to strengthen the pro-British Tooro. The Bakonjo and Baamba initially accepted being arbitrarily made subjects of the Tooro monarch with resignation, but asked the Uganda Protectorate to provide them their own district in the 1950s, separate from

493-588: The Ugandan government. After decades of being subjects of the Tooro Kingdom , the Konjo and Amba peoples asked the British colonial government in Uganda to provide them their own district in the 1950s, separate from the Toro District. The colonial authorities denied their request, and the Bakonjo and Baamba subsequently launched a low-intensity guerrilla war against the government in response. In

522-583: The administration of the Tooro kingdom were primarily given to the Batooro. These grievances caused Isaaya Mukirane, Peter Mupalia and Jeremiah Kawamara to walk out of the Rukurato, Tooro kingdom’s parliament on the March 13, 1962. Isaaya Mukirane, Peter Mupalia and Jeremiah Kawamara submitted their grievances to Omukama Kamurasi Rukidi, who later rejected them. The three were arrested and charged for insulting

551-667: The assassination of Vito Muhindo who was the Democratic Party candidate. And Chrispus Kiyonga a Uganda Patrotic Movement candidate won the Member of Parliament seat. The Batooro, Bakiga and Banyankore were not allowed to register as candidates as they were informed to leave Kasese district before the registrations begun. As government soldiers retreated in the Uganda-Tanzania War , the Rwenzururu looted

580-478: The collapse of the regime of Idi Amin in 1979 where President Godfrey Lukongwa Binaisa, granted Kasese district the right to appoint their own DC (district commissioner) and chiefs. In October 1980, Amon Bazira, a Uganda People’s Congress Member of parliament for Kasese talked with the Rwenzururu to support the UPC. And the Rwenzururu used terrorist strategies to force people to vote for UPC. Those strategies led to

609-424: The local population in Rwenzururu favored the creation of a kingdom. In 2005, President Museveni directed a ministerial committee headed by Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Public Service Henry Kajura to investigate the Rwenzururu claim to a kingdom and issue a report of his findings. The report stated that over 80% of the Bakonjo and Baamba favoured the creation of a kingdom with Charles Mumbere as

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638-479: The lower valleys. The Uganda Army intervened against the Rwenzururu, doing such significant damage that the movement was suppressed for some time. One of the units that took part in the suppression of the Rwenzururu movement was the Ugandan 1st Battalion. After the Uganda–Tanzania War and the collapse of the regime of Idi Amin in 1979, Rwenzururian fighters looted abandoned weapons and supplies left by

667-481: The lower valleys. The Ugandan army intervened against the separatists, doing such significant damage to the Rwenzururu that the movement was suppressed for some time. The movement, however, achieved fame through a local folk epic. In 1976 the Amin government created the district of Kasese separated from the Tooro district, but the Rwenzururu deemed this insufficient. The Rwenzururu gradually re-established itself in

696-508: The negotiations, the government preferred direct talks, as they believed third-party mediation would give legitimacy to the Rwenzururu claim. Amon Bazira had been a key person in the negotiations between the Rwenzururu and Obote government. His insight was that the Rwenzururu was a largely middle class organization that could be placated with commercial prizes. He later approached President Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire and President Daniel arap Moi of Kenya , who both had grounds for disliking

725-640: The negotiations, the government preferred direct talks, as they believed third-party mediation would give legitimacy to the Rwenzururu claim. Amon Bazira , who was a key supporter of the movement to overthrow Idi Amin, had been a key person in the negotiations between the Rwenzururu movement and the Obote government. His belief was that the movement was a largely middle class organisation that could be appeased with commercial prizes. Bazira later approached President Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire and President Daniel arap Moi of Kenya, both of whom had grounds for disliking

754-740: The new Ugandan government led by Yoweri Museveni , and asked for support for a new Bakonjo-led rebellion under an organisation called the National Army for the Liberation of Uganda (NALU). In 1993, Bazira was assassinated at the State House of Kenya in Nakuru , a probable target of Ugandan agents. In 1995, Sudanese agents engineered the merging of the remnants of NALU with the Uganda Muslim Liberation Army and

783-522: The new Ugandan government led by Yoweri Museveni , for support for new Bakonjo rebellion under an organization called the National Army for the Liberation of Uganda (NALU). Bazira was shot dead in the State House in Nakuru , Kenya in 1993, a probable target of Ugandan agents. In 1995, Sudanese agents engineered the merging of the remnants of NALU with the Uganda Muslim Liberation Army and

812-493: The retreating Uganda Army , reestablishing themselves as a serious threat in the region. However in 1982, the administration of President Milton Obote negotiated a settlement with the leaders of the movement, in which they agreed to abandon the goal of secession in exchange for "a degree of local autonomy", the appointment of Bakonjo and Baamba to government administrative posts, and economic benefits such as vehicles and educational scholarships distributed by local elders. During

841-557: The weapons and supplies left behind. Thus well-armed, the Rwenzururu was once again able to pose a serious threat to regional control from 1979 to 1982. In 1982, however, the administration of President Milton Obote negotiated a settlement with the Rwenzururu leaders in which they agreed to abandon the goal of secession in exchange for "a degree of local autonomy," the appointment of Bakonjo and Baamba to government administrative posts, and economic benefits such as vehicles and educational scholarships to be distributed by local elders. During

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