Joint security forces of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have recovered in DRC two vehicles belonging to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) that were recently stolen from Koboko, Uganda.
On the night of December 15, 2021, UNHCR offices located at Mindreba village along Yumbe Road guarded by Saracen Uganda Limited was broken into by yet to be identified people, who vandalised CCTV surveillance cameras before stealing a high value Toyota Land Cruiser Double Cabin reg number UBE 496 B and an ambulance reg number UBK 403 M from the parking yard.
They further vandalised another vehicle which they left there.
A case of office breaking and stealing of vehicles was registered at Koboko police station and investigations which among others included visiting and documenting the scene.
An impeccable source in security privy to this investigation, told this news website that the two guards who manned the offices vanished and abandoned their guns at the scene.
“Some equipment and guns abondoned by the two saracen guards were recovered,” says the source who preferred anonymity.
Plus News understands that, an operation coordinated by the Deputy Director General Internal Security Organisation (ISO), Gen Taban Amin, was then launched in both West Nile and Eastern DRC.
“GPS coordinates locating the two vehicles in Congo were obtained and nformation was shared with sister security colleagues who also shared it with our counterparts in Congo,” says the source.
In a period of about 8 hours, the two stolen vehicles had been recovered from Aruu area in DRC. At the time, the source said vehicles were still in Congo pending collection. However, Plus News has it on good authority that they were Tuesday received at the Ugandan border of Vura.
She further noted that both Ugandan and Congolese suspects are still on the run and efforts to apprehend them are ongoing.
This is one of the most successful operations given that it was conducted in a record 8 hours, but also, retrieving the cars from Congo. It is not easy to retrieve stolen items from a different jurisdiction, but through diplomatic protocols and mutual legal assistance we were able to succeed, says the source.
Authorities in both Uganda and Congo are currently engaged in various activities and engagements aimed at strengthening bilateral relations, the most recent being the visit of the President of the Senate of the DRC, Modeste Bahati Lukwebo alongside other government officials on Sunday.
During the three-day working visit that ends today, and aimed at bolstering the excellent cordial bilateral relation between the two countries, the DRC Senate President, held meetings with both the President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni and the Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Oulanyah.
There is also an ongoing joint mission by security forces of Uganda and the DRC to iron out remnants of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a rebel outfit linked to Islamic extremists.
The group is accused of looting and meting atrocities on civilians in the countriea including high profile murders witnessed in Uganda over the past couple of years and the killing of four civilians a couple of weeks ago in Kampala when suicide bombers detonated their explosives at parliamentary avenue and Central Police Station in Kampala.
Uganda has just started the construction of the 223 Kilometer road network that will open the Eastern part of the country to cross border trade with Uganda.
The project when completed will boost trade between the two countries since transportation of goods between the two countries had been hampered by poor infrastructure in the past.
