Fishermen arrest suspected Congolese militiamen
Members of Marine police patrol Lake Albert. Photo by Francis Mugerwa
Hoima- Ugandan fishermen on Lake Albert on Tuesday arrested two suspected armed Congolese militiamen who have allegedly been terrorising fishermen.
For more than two years, the suspected militiamen have been attacking, abducting, robbing and killing Ugandan fishermen at various landing sites.
The fishermen have repeatedly informed police but the attacks have persisted with militiamen accusing Ugandan fishermen of illegally fishing in Congolese waters.
Lake Albert straddles along the Uganda-DR Congo boarder.
The two suspects who were armed with an AK47 riffle were arrested by fishermen who were sailing on the lake.
The two suspected militia men reportedly attacked fishermen at the lake and stole a Yamaha out boat engine, a fuel tank for the same engine and fishnets.
Preliminary police investigations have revealed that the robbed items belonged to Mr Bosco Kiiza.
Mr Kiiza has reportedly filed a complaint at Nkondo police post confirming that the robbed items estimated to be worth Shs 11 million belong to him.
Mr Julius Hakiza, the Albertine Regional Police spokesperson confirmed the arrest of the two suspects.
He said the suspects were disarmed by one courageous fisherman.
The suspects have been transferred to Kikuube Central Police station.
In May 2016, a suspected Congolese armed group attacked Ugandan policemen who were patrolling Lake Albert and killed three policemen.
On October 22, 2012, a group of about armed 20 men stormed Nkondo Landing Site where they allegedly confiscated mobile phones and fish from Ugandan fishermen.
In August 2007, a Canadian Heritage oil engineer, Carl Nefdt was a shot dead by alleged Congolese government forces, when a Heritage exploration barge had allegedly crossed into Congolese waters. Heritage, which also had an oil licence in the DR Congo was accused by Kinshasa of using its Uganda operations to conduct seismic surveys in the country.
In 2007, Uganda and DR Congo bickered over the ownership of Rukwanzi Island, a disputed border point between the countries believed to have billions of barrels of crude oil.
