By Flavia Ajok
Unknown gunmen on Sunday raided Lake Albert in Kikuube district robbing fishermen of their fishing gear. The incident happened near Sejonjo landing site in Nsonga parish, Kyangwali sub-county.
The gunmen dressed in Congolese military uniforms reportedly put the fishermen at gunpoint and ordered them to surrender all the fishing gear they had in their possession.
The victims of the attack have been identified as Kakura Oyerigu and Asirifu Mugumiyo, both fishermen attached to Nsunzu landing site in Kyangwali sub-county.
Boat engines and several sets of fishing nets were robbed by the fishermen.
According to Oyergiu, the gunmen first disguised as fellow fishermen but when they approached them, they reportedly put them at gunpoint and threatened to kill them should they sound an alarm.
He says, they reportedly crossed to the DRC side after executing their mission. Oyergiu suspects the attackers to be Congolese militiamen who have been carrying out a number of attacks on Ugandan fishermen on the lake.
Julius Hakiza, the Albertine Region Police Spokesperson said that investigations into the attack have commenced.
He says detectives have already recorded statements from the victims.
There have been persistent attacks on Ugandan fishermen on Lake Albert by suspected DRC Militiamen since 2018.
In July, suspected armed Congolese militiamen raided the Uganda side of Lake Albert and fled off with fishing gear.
The six-armed men dressed in Congolese military camouflage reportedly attacked the fishermen near Runga landing site in, Kibiro Parish in Kiganja sub-county in Hoima.
The victims were put at gunpoint and robbed of four sets of fishing nets, four fuel tanks, and eleven life jackets belonging to the fishermen.
Some of the victims were then identified as Suleiman Meddy 47, Denis 40, and Lazaro.
In March 2021, suspected armed DRC militiamen raided Lake Albert abducting 16 Ugandan fishermen.
The attack occurred near Kaiso landing site in Kabaale Sub County. They also robbed four fishing boats, four-engine boats, and several sets of fishing nets from the fishermen.
They were later released after each of them allegedly paid a ransom of 50 US Dollars.
On March 21, 2021, the suspected DRC militiamen again raided the lake robbing 19 boat engines.
