Gunfire rocks Arua after woman dies in URA operation
Two victims of a Tuesday evening accident gesture aboard a car as locals look at the body of a woman killed during a road crash as URA enforcers aimed to capture a man on a motorcylce in Arua City on November 14, 2023. PHOTO/CLEMENT ALUMA
What you need to know:
- At the time of filing this report, URA had neither responded to our calls nor made a statement on the incident.
- Security forces were yet to speak out on the matter but the body and the injured were at Arua Referral Hospital.
Gunfire rocked Arua City on Tuesday evening after two people were injured and a woman killed as Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) enforcers were involved in an accident while chasing a suspected errant motorcyclist.
Eyewitnesses told Monitor that the incident near Rhema Hospital happened when the URA enforcers crossed and stopped abruptly in front of the motorcyclist who rammed into their car while carrying three people, including the deceased.
“The URA enforcers wanted to escape from the accident scene. So, I had to follow and make sure that they transport the injured and the dead to the hospital,” former Ayivu county Member of Parliament (MP) Bernard Atiku narrated.
Preliminary information indicates that the three people who were moving on the motorcycle were family members heading home from Arua Town.
On Tuesday evening, angry residents stormed areas around Arua Regional Referral Hospital where the accident victims were rushed to by the URA enforcers who they aimed to lynch with stones.
Eyewitnesses said URA enforcers fired several live bullets in the air to disperse the crowd in order to aid their escape from hospital.
By press time Tuesday evening, the body of the unidentified woman was still at the hospital pending postmortem. The motorcyclist, who broke his leg, and the other victim who sustained head injuries, were receiving treatment at the same health facility.
Still at the time of filing this report, URA spokesperson Ibrahim Bbosa had neither responded to our calls nor made a statement on the incident. Security forces were yet to speak out on the matter.
Just three days ago, URA enforcers allegedly killed a suspected smuggler who crossed into neighbouring DR Congo via Koboko District.
The deceased was identified as 22-year-old Jackson Amori, a resident of Ponura Parish, Lobule Sub-County in Koboko District.
Eyewitnesses said URA enforcers allegedly demanded Shs400, 000 from Amori, but fired at him after allowing him to cross to the DR Congo side. Monitor could not independently verify the claim from the eyewitnesses.
URA’s acting Northern Regional Manager for Customs, Simon Muwesigye, said they were investigating the incident.
For several years, Uganda’s tax body has been associated with deaths of civilians during deadly border operations that sometimes involve the army.
