KAMPALA, Uganda
A border dispute between Uganda and DR Congo is again brewing in the frontier town of Padea, West Nile Sub-region, after Congolese locals backed by their police crossed into Uganda and laid claim to three villages deep inside Uganda.
The villages being claimed by
the Congolese are Acu Cell, in Jupadindu Ward of Padea Town Council; Acu
Village in Asina Parish Abanga Sub- County and Oyaro Village in Asina Parish --
all in Zombo District.
Such incursions by Congolese
security personnel into Uganda have been a constant cause for concern in parts
of West Nile. They have also become a source of insecurity, which undermines
cross-border trade between the two countries.
Area Resident District
Commissioner, Lt Col (rtd) Pius Alitema, told the Monitor that
his office has scheduled a meeting with Congolese security from Mahagi
Territory as part of interim efforts to calm the situation.
He also revealed that the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kampala has been briefed about the unfolding
situation, and reportedly plans to take up the matter at a higher level.
Lt Col Alitema called for
respect of the international boundary, warning that any violation creates
insecurity.
“We must engage our local
authorities operating at the border to respect the national boundary and also
maintain peace and security to promote trade and commerce. Our people should be
at peace because these people all speak the same language and inter-marry. So,
there is no point of rivalry,” he said.
At the weekend, a group of
suspected Congolese nationals entered the Ugandan side of the border.
Backed by Congolese police
from Mahagi Territory, they then set about erecting a barricade on the Padea-Congo
Road.
A similar incident happened
five years ago in nearby Asina when the Congolese again attempted to
unilaterally extend the international border two kilometres inside
Uganda.
There was a souring of
relations between communities on either side of the border until Uganda’s army
moved in and opened up the barricaded areas.
A local leader, Mr Benjamin
Ocirwoth, said Ugandans in the affected border area are living in fear of being
attacked by Congolese.
Mr Ocirwoth said the locals
are being stopped by Congolese from accessing their farmland.
“We are not at peace because
anytime we can be attacked by Congolese. If the matter is not taken seriously
at the national level, the disagreement will continue to affect both business
and studies of our children,” he said.
Mr Wilfred Jakwonga, a
businessman in Padea, said the border dispute is now affecting trade.
“We cannot trade freely ever
since the Congolese created a barrier inside the Ugandan side and our people
are being threatened,” Mr Jakwonga said.
The chairperson of Zombo
District, Mr Benson Oyulu, told Daily Monitor that a lasting solution to the
on-off border dispute should be found through national-level meetings.
“The issue of national
boundaries cannot be handled by the locals. It needs the higher authorities
from both sides since it is a cause of insecurity to both parties,” Mr Oyulu
said.
The Deputy Territorial
Administrator for Mahagi District in DR Congo, Col Claude Ntumba, said they
will hold dialogue with Ugandan authorities to resolve any conflict.
“We should all have respect
for each other at the border areas and people should avoid establishing
unnecessary checkpoints to extort money from people,” he said.
The Monitor has
learnt that an unnamed Congolese clan chief is behind the latest attempt to
establish illegal customs point inside Uganda so as to extort money from
traders.
In June 2009, Congolese
policemen put up an illegal police post at Agyero, two kilometres near River
Nyibola at Goli customs on the Uganda border.
The post has remained in place
after an agreement was reportedly reached by authorities on either side of the
border.
More than 15 kilometres of the
border is constituted by a road (right from Amwonyo behind Got-Agu through
villages of Openju, Simu, Asina, Angenja, Akwerali, Kakra, Acu, Pamitu and
Asina parishes in Abanga Sub-county).
The border also runs from Acu,
Ajigu, Jupucama to Awasi in Jangokoro Sub-county, stretching all the way to
Athuma, Zeu, Alangi then Kango sub-counties.
Out of the 13 sub-counties of
Zombo, nine of them share borders with DR Congo. And there are 75 villages that
share borders with DR Congo.
In November 2007, DR Congo
soldiers arrested two surveyors of Heritage Oil and a guard from Saracen
Security Company after they reportedly lost their way and wandered 200 metres
inside Kolokoto in Congo.
In May 2008, Congolese authorities
erect barrier at River Ofo, 300 metres inside Uganda in Vurra, Arua District.
The standoff was resolved by
Presidents Museveni and Joseph
Kabila, through dialogue.
In June 2009, Congolese policemen built a police post at Agyero located two
kilometres on River Nyibola at Goli customs on Uganda border.
In August 2009. Armed Sudanese
attack and stop the MTN construction work at Jale in Moyo District.
In September 2009. Seven SPLA
soldiers attack farmers in Gwerewan Village in Lefori, claiming the land
belonged to South Sudan.
On August 23, 2010, firing
bullets in the air, three Congolese soldiers attacked traders at Kampala Market
in Logiri Sub- County in Vurra County, Arua District. They were chasing
Ugandans who had allegedly crossed into DR Congo whom they accused of tax
evasion. More than 50 people were injured.
In November 2010. SPLA
soldiers arrest 13 farmers from Lefori and took them hostage, accusing them of
encroaching on South Sudanese land.
In March 2012. Nine Ugandan MPs were held hostage by SPLA soldiers in Lefori as
they went on a monitoring exercise on the disputed land.
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