DR Congo police take over three villages in Uganda

A border dispute between Uganda and DR Congo is brewing again in the border town of Padea in the West Nile sub-region after Congolese residents backed by their police entered Uganda and claimed three villages in the deep in Uganda, reports the local media DailyMonitor.

Such incursions by Congolese security personnel into Uganda have been a constant source of concern in parts of West Nile. They have also become a source of insecurity, which undermines cross-border trade between the two countries.

The area’s resident district commissioner, Lt. Col. (rtd) Pius Alitema, told the media that his office had scheduled a meeting with Congolese security in Mahagi territory as part of interim efforts to calm the situation.

He also disclosed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kampala had been briefed on the developments and planned to take up the matter at a higher level.

Lt. Col. Alitema called for respect for the international border, warning that any violation creates insecurity.

“We must engage our local authorities operating at the border to respect the national border and also to maintain peace and security in order to promote trade and commerce. Our people should be at peace because these people all speak the same language and marry each other. So there is no rivalry,” he said.