Julius Hakiza, the Albertine region police spokesperson told Uganda Radio Network on Friday that the four suspected Congolese militiamen all armed with guns struck at around 1AM and put the Ugandan fishermen at gunpoint before ordering them to surrender to them the two boat engines.
Trouble started when armed Congolese Militiamen approached a boat, which Onen and his colleagues were using and ordered them to surrender their fishing gear to them. The fishermen declined the orders leading to a scuffle with the Congolese militiamen.
The duo drowned on Sunday night following a scuffle that erupted between the Ugandan fishermen on the lake with the suspected Congolese militiamen who invaded the lake robbing fishermen of their fishing gear.
Stephen Birahwa Mukitale, the Buliisa County Member of Parliament demands for an explanation from the Minister of internal Affairs on why Ugandan fishermen continue to be robbed several times.
The Buliisa District Police Commander, Bosco Arop, says the attacks, which saw the militiamen confiscate 35 boat engines belonging to Ugandan fishermen occurred between Monday and Wednesday.
Simon Irumba, a fisherman at Kyehoro landing site in Kikuube district, says the fishermen cannot withstand the rampant attacks by the Congolese militia.
John Munguriek, one of the affected fishermen told Uganda Radio Network on Wednesday that the attack has left him with nothing. He says the Congolese attackers took his boat engine valued at Shillings 3 million.
It is alleged that the Fishermen where attacked and shot by DRC Militiamen as they went to search for the body of one of their colleagues who were cut into pieces and dumped into the Lake by the same group on Mond
It is alleged that the fishermen were attacked by a group of eight men armed with three guns, pangas, spears, bows and arrows. They allegedly cut the five fishermen into pieces and dumped their bodies in the lake.
