Three wounded during market dispute
Aug 15, 2007
THREE people were injured when security operatives tried to disperse a rowdy crowd on Saturday at Mpondwe border post in Kasese district. Kasese district Police commander Felix Ebong said the three were shot at as the security operatives tried to control the irate crowd that was trying to block a l
By John B.B.Nzinjah
THREE people were injured when security operatives tried to disperse a rowdy crowd on Saturday at Mpondwe border post in Kasese district. Kasese district Police commander Felix Ebong said the three were shot at as the security operatives tried to control the irate crowd that was trying to block a lorry loaded with salted fish from crossing to Kasindi, the DR Congo border market.
The wounded admitted at Bwera Hospital were identified as Julius Kajaruwa, 27, Peter Mwanayesu and Brenda, a daughter to Isingoma. Ebong said the fish belonged to a woman trader who had been cleared by the Revenue Protection Unit to take her goods to the market across the border.
“Some Ugandans did not want the fish sold in the Congolese market,†Ebong said on Sunday. The border market takes place on the Ugandan side on Tuesdays in the Mpondwe no-man’s-land and at Kasindi on Fridays.
Some Ugandan traders and their supporters, alleged that the Congolese authorities at Kasindi market on Friday stopped Ugandan traders from crossing back with some Congolese commodities, especially Gonja (plantians).
“We want them to come to our side of the border and buy this fish in pieces because they also did the same to us on Friday,†said the traders. The open-border market was established more than 15 years ago as one of the measures to curb smuggling of petty items between the two countries.
Meanwhile Bwogi Buyera reports that the Kabale district security officer, Obadia Musimenta, has warned local council leaders on the Uganda/Rwanda border against allowing people without proper travel documents into the country.
THREE people were injured when security operatives tried to disperse a rowdy crowd on Saturday at Mpondwe border post in Kasese district. Kasese district Police commander Felix Ebong said the three were shot at as the security operatives tried to control the irate crowd that was trying to block a lorry loaded with salted fish from crossing to Kasindi, the DR Congo border market.
The wounded admitted at Bwera Hospital were identified as Julius Kajaruwa, 27, Peter Mwanayesu and Brenda, a daughter to Isingoma. Ebong said the fish belonged to a woman trader who had been cleared by the Revenue Protection Unit to take her goods to the market across the border.
“Some Ugandans did not want the fish sold in the Congolese market,†Ebong said on Sunday. The border market takes place on the Ugandan side on Tuesdays in the Mpondwe no-man’s-land and at Kasindi on Fridays.
Some Ugandan traders and their supporters, alleged that the Congolese authorities at Kasindi market on Friday stopped Ugandan traders from crossing back with some Congolese commodities, especially Gonja (plantians).
“We want them to come to our side of the border and buy this fish in pieces because they also did the same to us on Friday,†said the traders. The open-border market was established more than 15 years ago as one of the measures to curb smuggling of petty items between the two countries.
Meanwhile Bwogi Buyera reports that the Kabale district security officer, Obadia Musimenta, has warned local council leaders on the Uganda/Rwanda border against allowing people without proper travel documents into the country.