Uganda hands over Congo soldiers
Dec 08, 2010
THE commander of the UPDF 409 Brigade in Arua district, Lt. Col. Martin Ndyanabo, has handed over three Congolese soldiers to his counterparts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
By Richard Drasimaku
THE commander of the UPDF 409 Brigade in Arua district, Lt. Col. Martin Ndyanabo, has handed over three Congolese soldiers to his counterparts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The soldiers were Rodger Mulumba and Terezor Bukanga from the DRC naval force at Mahagi Port.
They were captured during a joint UPDF and police mission to rescue 57 Ugandan fishermen and their fishing equipments that had been taken by the Congolese soldiers.
Ugandan military officers failed to identity the third soldier, whom they thought to be insane.
He was however, recognised by the DRC delegation as being a member of their armed forces.
The soldier was arrested in Anyiribu sub-county in Arua district after shooting and injuring two people in an attempt to rob a motorcycle.
He was part of a group of five armed men who rounded up the Ugandan fishermen on Lake Albert.
The group is said to have robbed 55 hurricane lamps, seven cell phones, an electricity generator and fuel tank from the fishermen.
Two rifles recovered from the captured marines were given back to the Congolese team.
Ndyanabo said the third gun found in possession of the ‘insane’ soldier would be handed back later.
The Nebbi resident district commissioner, Betty Adima, who attended the joint security meeting at Goli customs post on Tuesday, estimated that Uganda had lost sh162.8m due to repeated attacks and kidnaps by the DRC naval forces on Lake Albert since October 2009.
The Mahagi assistant district commissioner, Seguine Orombi, quoting several documents which he said contained statements from the captured men, said they were Congolese based in Uganda but crossed to the Congo side of the lake to catch silver fish (mukene).
The officials appealed to the border verification commission formed on the orders of presidents Yoweri Museveni and Joseph Kabila to quickly sort out the imaginary border of Lake Victoria
THE commander of the UPDF 409 Brigade in Arua district, Lt. Col. Martin Ndyanabo, has handed over three Congolese soldiers to his counterparts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The soldiers were Rodger Mulumba and Terezor Bukanga from the DRC naval force at Mahagi Port.
They were captured during a joint UPDF and police mission to rescue 57 Ugandan fishermen and their fishing equipments that had been taken by the Congolese soldiers.
Ugandan military officers failed to identity the third soldier, whom they thought to be insane.
He was however, recognised by the DRC delegation as being a member of their armed forces.
The soldier was arrested in Anyiribu sub-county in Arua district after shooting and injuring two people in an attempt to rob a motorcycle.
He was part of a group of five armed men who rounded up the Ugandan fishermen on Lake Albert.
The group is said to have robbed 55 hurricane lamps, seven cell phones, an electricity generator and fuel tank from the fishermen.
Two rifles recovered from the captured marines were given back to the Congolese team.
Ndyanabo said the third gun found in possession of the ‘insane’ soldier would be handed back later.
The Nebbi resident district commissioner, Betty Adima, who attended the joint security meeting at Goli customs post on Tuesday, estimated that Uganda had lost sh162.8m due to repeated attacks and kidnaps by the DRC naval forces on Lake Albert since October 2009.
The Mahagi assistant district commissioner, Seguine Orombi, quoting several documents which he said contained statements from the captured men, said they were Congolese based in Uganda but crossed to the Congo side of the lake to catch silver fish (mukene).
The officials appealed to the border verification commission formed on the orders of presidents Yoweri Museveni and Joseph Kabila to quickly sort out the imaginary border of Lake Victoria