KAMPALA, Jan. 26, (Xinhua/GNA) – The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) military arrested 33 Ugandan fishermen on Lake Albert, a lake shared by the two countries, a top Ugandan official said on Monday.
The fishermen were arrested on Friday, Swaib Toko, resident commissioner for Pakwach, a district in northwestern Uganda, told Xinhua by telephone.
“The fishermen were accused of crossing into the DRC territory on Lake Albert and were therefore arrested,” Toko said.”We are still making arrangements to have the fishermen handed back to us,” he said.
“Two of our fishermen overpowered and held two Congolese soldiers. We are working on having them returned as well,” Toko said.
According to Toko, there is no clear boundary on the lake to indicate the border line between the two countries.
“The Congolese soldiers just picked the fishermen with their 11 boats,” he said. “We shall sort out the differences and give them their soldiers.”
The arrest of Ugandan fishermen by Congolese military and militiamen is common on Lake Albert.
In October last year, 16 Ugandan fishermen were arrested at gunpoint by suspected militiamen from the DRC; they were later released.
GNA