6 injured as refugees clash with locals in Kyegegwa

KYEGEGWA.

At least six people have been rushed to hospital with injuries after refugees at the periphery of Kyaka II refugee settlement clashed with nationals in Kyegegwa District on Thursday.

The Rwenzori West Police spokesperson Lydia Tumushabe said, "The settlement administration had an exercise of evicting people from the settlement land by demolishing some structures. This prompted locals to stone them and police was called in later to disperse them but found 6 people were already injured," she said.

She was quick to add that those hurt were injured by “stones not bullets.”

However, the Kyegegwa District chairman Mr John Kisoke said, "The camp commandant led police to evict nationals near the settlement in a disputed area which led to clashes before police fired teargas and live bullets injuring some people".

Kisoke said the number of the injured people is not yet established but the situation is still tense.

 "I have informed the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and one of the commissioners is coming tomorrow (Friday) so that we, the district leadership and the security team solve the matter," Kisoke said.

When contacted, the Resident District Commissioner Mary Nyakwera also confirmed the bloody incident saying that the OPM Commissioner, the district team and area MP shall meet the warring parties tomorrow (Friday) at 11am.

UNHCR responds

"We are aware of a security incident that occurred in Kyaka II involving a refugee demonstration that was dispersed by the police. At the moment we are awaiting further details," an official of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) told Daily Monitor.

Since refugees were settled in the area 2 years ago, land disputes have been the order of the day pitting the hosts against refugees. The locals contend that part of their land was encroached on.