Bundibugyo Police Were Warned Of Attack - Officer

The police were warned of an impending attack on Bundibugyo town on Saturday.

 

A police officer attached to Bundibugyo police station, who preferred anonymity, told Uganda Radio Network that last month, they received information from residents of Bumadu that more than 80 men armed with spears, arrows and machetes were mobilizing and training from the mountains.

 

The source says that some of the residents who have gardens on the slopes of Mount Rwenzori often met the men training in the morning. The group also created access roads in the mountains. The access roads were connecting Kasese to Bundibugyo district. 

 

The more than 80 attackers who stormed Bundibugyo town on Saturday emerged from the mountains and were armed with spears, machetes, arrows and bayonets. At least 72 people have been killed in the attacks.

 

Francis Makune, the Local Council one for Kabindi village in Bumandu Sub County, says that they notified the district security officials about the presence of unknown people who were often seen at night going to the mountains and were suspicious of their motives. Makune says that when he notified the security in the district about the matter, they promised to act.

 

According to Makune, if the security had acted, there wouldn’t have been an attack on the town.

 

On Sunday, Pius Mujuzi, the Bundibugyo Resident District Commissioner, confirmed to URN that they had received the information, but were still investigating the allegations. He also says that they were investigating other reports that they were planning to attack the town from the Buhundu and Bumandu.

 

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Swizen Kyomuhendo, the spokesperson of Obudingiya Bwa Bwamba cultural institution, says that the security officers should investigate the motives of the attackers. According to Kyomuhendo, security officials will be missing the point if they attribute the attacks to only tribal conflicts.

 

Kyomuhendo also wondered why would a group opposed to a cultural institution instead attack a police station and army barracks and steal guns.

 

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 Meanwhile the army says that Pius Mujuzi, the RDC Bundibugyo, was shot accidently by a police officer mistaking him for a suspected attacker. Lt. Ninsima Rwemijuma, the UPDF spokesperson Rwenzori region, says that security had received intelligence information that there was a planned attack on Bundibugyo police station by the suspects and when the security operatives were taking their positions, Mujuzi came from behind dressed in civilian clothes and the police officer shot him in the leg.