CONGOLESE KIDNAPPERS DEMAND UGX 4 M TO RELEASE 10 UGANDAN FISHERMEN

By Ronald Kabanza

www.mknewslink.com

In Rukungiri

The Congolese kidnappers are demanding a ransom of Ugx 4 million to free 10 Ugandan fishermen whom they kidnapped on Monday week at around 7:00 am as they returned from their routine fishing expedition.

 Capt. Favorite Rwogamu, the spokesperson Uganda marine forces told www.mknewslink.com  reporter in a phone interview that the kidnappers are now demanding a ransom of money to free kidnapped fishermen.

He added that it has been a vice of the Congolese militias to kidnap Ugandans and they later demand money from their friends and family.

 Capt Rwogamu noted that they are tired of sending money to the kidnappers, but this won’t send them even a single coin instead they are going to hold round table negotiations with Congolese government.

“We are not sending any money to them, let them remain with them because this is becoming a habit of us sending money so the family members should not sell off their property but only wait for us to have negotiations with them through their government,” said Capt. Rwogamu.

 Some of the kidnapped fishermen are David Mucunguzi, Innocent Twinomujuni ,Shabul  Nabasa, Jackson Tumuhamye,  Benjamin Tusasibwe,  Nicholas  Sunday, Kenneth Kabasharira Nicholas   Tumwesigye, Patrick Bwiho and Jackson Musinguzi. According to residents.

This made the residents and the family members of the kidnapped to develop tension and fear after hearing the kidnap news of their fellows.

According to one of the fishermen at Rwenshama Landing Site Mustapha Aribariho, the victims had gone to the lake with six boats to check on fishing nets they had trapped earlier when they were kidnapped.

“The militias emerged and put them on gunpoint and only one boat was later released before the militia crossed back into Democratic Republic of Congo,” Aribariho narrated.

He however said that the relatives of the kidnapped men are now living in fear and worried about the lives of the men and said that Ugandan security is yet to update them about efforts being done to rescue the victims.

Isaac Tugumisirize, the area councilor at sub- county told our reporter that the Congolese militia kidnapped Ugandan fishermen in form of revenging for their Congolese fishermen who are normally arrested by Ugandan marine forces from doing illegal fishing on the waters of lake Edward on Uganda’s side.

“Uganda marine defense force have been arresting Congolese fishermen of recent 12 of them, 34 boots, and over 200 fishing nets were impounded by marine forces for doing illegal fishing on l. Edward so as a way of revenging they had to kidnap Uganda’s fishermen,” said Tugumisirize.  

This is not the first time the militias are kidnapping fishermen at Rweshama Landing, in May 2018, the same militias attacked the landing site and kidnapped six fishermen.

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