Sudanese businessman abducted in Kampala

By Steven Candia                              

The police have launched investigations into the disappearance of a Kampala based Sudanese businessman who was allegedly kidnapped in the city by armed men over a bungled deal, before being smuggled into South Sudan ‘to face justice.’

Salahedlin Haroun Khatir, 41, the managing director of Hongo Uganda Ltd, an import firm was allegedly kidnapped on April 13 at the parking yard of the former Hotel Equatoria, in a disturbing rise of abduction cases in the country.

The matter has been reported at the Kampala Central Police Station (CPS) under reference number 70/13/04/2013 and is being treated as kidnap.

In the company of a few friends, Haroun had just emerged from the office of the Chairman of the South Sudanese Business Community where he had been summoned to resolve a long standing US $ 347,000 (about sh765m) dispute between him and two South Sudanese businessmen when he was abducted.

Also present at the meeting were both complainants–Peter Kout and another only identified as Zakaria, one of whom reportedly kept walking out of the meeting, making numerous calls on his mobile phone to unknown people. It is suspected he could have been hatching the plot .

Emerging from the meeting at about 3:00pm he was accosted by five men, three of them armed with pistols, claiming to be security personnel from Interpol with an arrest warrant for him.

When he protested they forced him into a saloon car, registration number UAH 370A and sped away. Attempts by Haroun’s friends to pursue the abductors hit a dead end after another vehicle appeared from nowhere and blocked the road, enabling the abductors to disappear.

“However, when we finally got to the Interpol head offices, the officers said they were not aware of the arrest and advised us to report a case of abduction at CPS,” a relative said.

Boniface Walimbwa, the Kampala Metropolitan police CIID chief confirmed the matter having been reported but said he needed to be updated on the matter by the investigating officer.  The Sudan Embassy has also been alerted about the incident.

The matter, he said, had even been brought to the attention of the deputy director CIID Godfrey Musana who was keenly following the investigations.

“We tried to follow but another vehicle appeared and blocked the road,” a relative said, suggesting a meticulously planned mission.  “We rushed to Interpol offices only to be told that they never knew of the arrest but advised to report the matter to the Central Police Station,” a source said.

Haroun’s relatives who have since petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), say they were shocked to learn the next day that the abductors had crossed with Haroun into South Sudan through the Nimule border post.

“It is our humble request that you handle our case with more urgency to help us know the whereabouts of our family member, whether he is dead or alive,” the petition dated April 16 reads.

Prior to the Saturday meeting the complainants who claimed to have an Interpol letter from South Sudan seeking his extradition had dragged Haroun to the Kampala Interpol offices were he was granted bond till April 17.

“The Interpol boss said there was no need to have Haroun extradited given that the contract had been entered into in Uganda and if anything he should be subjected to the Ugandan law,” a source said wondering why there was a departure from that position.

Sources say that police have since intercepted and impounded the first car, a special hire, arrested and interrogated the owner who has since been released on bond. The vehicle was parked at CPS. However, the incident comes against a back drop of concerns over the increasing numbers of abductions in the country.

Last month Col. Eric Zachariah Ndosa, the alleged fugitive leader of the Congolese M18 rebel group was taken into army custody after he was reportedly abducted by unknown people from Kampala and handed over to Congolese intelligence officers.

There are also unconfirmed reports that a Ugandan truck driver who had been involved in a road accident in South Sudan but sneaked back home was illegally ‘deported’ to South Sudan ‘to face justice’  after unknown people traced him to his home in Kawempe and kidnapped him.

Haroun’s plight stems from a deal he entered in 2011 with Kout and Zakaria to supply them with fuel. He said to have paid a Somali businessman who delivered the goods in a truck to the Uganda Sudan border of Nimule but got held up there for about four months given that the owners were waiting for tax exemption from the Government of South Sudan.  

“Following that, the Somali businessman decided to sell off the merchandise, offering to make good when Kout and Zakaria are ready. However, since then tracing the Somali businessman has become an issue, culminating in the kidnap.