Congolese soldiers leave Buliisa police station on Tuesday
KAMPALA, Jan 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Uganda is set to hand over two Congolese military personnel, and two rifles in exchange for over 30 Ugandan fishermen arrested on Lake Albert on DR Congo side.
The Officer in charge of Uganda’s Buliisa Central Police Station, Johnson Niwandinda on Tuesday handed over the soldiers to the Pakwach District Police Commander, Frank Muzoora who will hand them over to his counterparts in DR Congo.
He said the soldiers were arrested on Lake Albert last week after entering Uganda illegally.
“These brothers of ours were arrested on our side while armed with the rifles in Wanseko and Bugoigo landing sites, and good enough they had not caused any harm to Ugandans,” Niwandinda said.
He said it had been a common practice for Congolese soldiers to enter Uganda and arrest fishermen on the lake in the disguise of patrolling, detain them in DR Congo and later ask for a ransom of between Shs1.8 million per boat before releasing them.
The Officer In-charge Dei army barracks, Maj Wilson Kyaboona Bataga said Congolese authorities have been calling for the exchange of captives and promised to hand over the soldiers to their counterparts in exchange for 31 Ugandan fishermen who were arrested by the Congolese army on Jan 19 on Lake Albert.
Muzoora advised Ugandan fishermen to always carry out fishing on the Ugandan side and to comply with authorities doing patrol on the water to avoid revenge.
He also asked the Congolese army to avoid entering Uganda’s water while conducting their patrols. — NNN-AGENCIES
