Tension as DRC is accused of encroaching on border
Some of the Congolese who were slashing the contested territory on the Uganda-DR Congo border at Vurra in Arua recently. PHOTO BY CLEMENT ALUMA
What you need to know:
Confusion. Ugandans at the Uganda-DR Congo border in Vurra County say Congolese have occupied their territory.
Arua. Tension is building at the Uganda-DR Congo border after Congolese authorities tresspassed the border that separates the two countries at Vurra, in Arua District.
Authorities and residents in the area were alarmed when Congolese extended the hitherto known border-line at Vurra customs post by a distance of about 300 metres into the Ugandan territory and erected some structures.
The development undermines a recent agreement between Ugandan and Congolese authorities to halt any further construction in the disputed area until a joint technical verification is undertaken.
A technical team was supposed to be set up by the heads of states of the two neighbouring countries, officials said. On Monday afternoon, residents at the border were awakened by the clang of pangas and noise by Congolese chanting in their local language, “amamuu pere Pakwachia” loosely translated as, “Our boarder extends up to Pakwach.”
“We feel bad that the Ugandan territory has been encroached upon and our government is not taking any steps to reclaim it,” Mr Andrew Gordon Andama, a resident said. “We want the government to use force to chase these people away. They are making us to feel like orphans yet we have a strong army,” he added.
When residents raised an alarm, the deputy resident district commissioner for Arua, Mr Swaib Toko, and the district police commander (DPC) for Arua, Mr Mwesigwa Byaruhanga, led a security team to the border.
The mission tried to engage the Congolese traders and junior officers of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC).
However, the talks did not yield much as the Uganda team demanded, first, a halt to any clearing of the bush. However, the Congolese insisted on clearing the land to create a parking area.
Recently, the DR Congo spokesperson for Aru territory, Mr Corneille Aluma, said: “Our people are clearing this land for a parking yard and to build administrative units for our customs. This is an issue that could be solved by experts from both countries. But we hope the experts establish the truth of the demarcation of the borderlines.”
Ambassador James Mugume, the permanent secretary Foreign Affairs Ministry, said the boarder issue is technical and residents should not be misled by politicians.
“We have agreed with the African Union and DR Congo to demarcate the land technically because it’s not a water body that separates the two boarders. We agreed to have technical teams from both countries along with AU to mark the border, ’Mr Mugume said.
Recurrent conflict
In June 2009, Congolese policemen constructed a police post at Agyero located two kilometres off River Nyibola along the Uganda border. In May 2008, the Congolese authorities erected a barrier at Anyi streem, 300 metres deep inside Uganda border in Arua District. The standoff was resolved by President Museveni and president Joseph Kabila, through dialogue. In November 2007, DR Congo soldiers arrested two surveyors of Heritage Oil and a guard from Saracen Company after they reportedly lost direction and entered about 200 meters in Kolokoto in DR Congo.
