Slain police officers buried
Police officers pay tribute to their colleagues who were killed by DR Congo security personnel last week. The bodies were by end of last week released to Uganda for burial. PHOTO BY FIBRAHIM ADUBANGO
What you need to know:
Killed. The three officers were killed last week as they responded to illegal fishing incident at Kitebere Island in the border district of Ntoroko.
Kampala. The bodies of three Ugandan police officers, killed by suspected Congolese soldiers at Mulango on Lake Albert a week ago, have been laid to rest.
On May 21, DR Congo soldiers ambushed and killed three marine officers who were responding to an illegal fishing incident at Kitebere Island in the border district of Ntoroko.
Mr Fred Enanga, the police spokesperson, yesterday told Daily Monitor the bodies had been delivered to respective relatives in Hoima, Apac and Bugiri districts.
“We took the bodies to Mulago Hospital for postmortem and afterwards we handed them over to a funeral home which dispatched them to respective relatives,” he said.
Constable Moses Ocen was buried in Apac and Sergeant Faruk Waiswa was buried in Bugiri at the weekend while Constable Bernard Isingoma was laid to rest in Hoima district yesterday.
Mr Enanga said police made a parade to honour the deceased for their vast services in the Force at customs point in Nebbi when DR Congo authorities were handing them over to Uganda.
Mr Enanga said Corporal Obara who was also believed to be killed was returned in critical condition but is improving after receiving treatment at Mulago Hospital.
Uganda sent a protest note to Kinshasa demanding for an explanation why its officers were killed.
However, by last week DR Cong has not responded.
Former International Relations state minister Henry Okello Oryem described the incident as “an abhorrent conduct”, warning that a repeat of any such attack would force Uganda to pursue the killers.
Uganda and DR Congo have for long held suspicions against each others culminating into tensions that are characterised by fatal boarder attacks by security personnel.
