The suspects were arrested in a disputed area along the border of Uganda and South Sudan while harvesting bamboo stems from a forest in the areas presumed to be within Ber Lobo village in Lokung East Sub County, Lamwo district.
23 Ugandan
nationals who were arrested by South Sudan authorities over alleged
criminal trespass and illegal harvest of natural resources have been released.
They were arrested last week in
a disputed area along the border of Uganda and South Sudan while harvesting
bamboo stems from a forest in Ber Lobo village in Lokung East Sub County, Lamwo District.
On Tuesday, the Lamwo Resident
District Commissioner James Nabinson Kidega received the Ugandans at Awenolwiyo border post.
A police
officer at Awenolwiyo immigration border post who preferred anonymity says the
suspects were briefly held at Teten border post before being transferred
to the police central division in Lubone for further investigations.
The source
adds that while at Lubone Police central division, charges of illegally
harvesting natural resources and criminal trespass into another foreign country
had been preferred against the suspects.
Kidega says
the release follows numerous negotiations with his counterparts in South
Sudan. He added
that the areas where the suspects were arrested lie within Uganda and that both border communities have been sharing the resources.
//Cue in:
“because we…
Cue out: “…fooling
people”//
Kidega also called
for investigations into claims that the suspects’ property and valuables
including two axes, 28 pangas, phones, identification documents, and money were
taken by the arresting officers.
The
Commissioner for Magwi County, David Otoo however refuted allegations of
torture and humiliations of the suspects. He however pledged to investigate the
claims of holding on the property and valuables by the Bomah Chiefs and
immigration officers.
Otto however
noted that there have always been concerns from authorities about unscrupulous
people from Uganda entering their territory and cutting down the forest cover despite
a ban against the destruction of natural forest cover.
He also
implored the governments of Uganda and South Sudan to expedite the process of
redefining the common boundaries between the two countries in order to end the
longstanding border disputes.
Dan Michael Komakech
Freelancer