Eleven DRC nationals deported after illegally crossing into Uganda

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Eleven Nationals of the Democratic Republic of Congo have been deported over illegal entry into Uganda. The deported DRC nationals, who included 4 adults and seven minors were intercepted on Saturday morning at Murole trading centre in Rubanda district.

The adults were identified as Frank Gataazi, 41, Patrick Ndabunguriye, 36, Shantari Ntasuku, 30, all residents South Kivu and Florence Zawadi, 28, a resident of Karambo in North Kivu. They were intercepted while travelling in a Baby coach bus registration number UAU 522L and Malayika bus registration number UBB 992AL from Kisoro to Kampala.

Kigezi region police spokesperson Elly Maate says that security officials were forced to intercept the two buses after receiving information that some non-Ugandans were onboard. Maate says that all the arrested individuals had no travel documents and confessed to having beaten security at the porous border to cross into Uganda.

According to Maate, security officials resolved to deport them through the Uganda Democratic Republic of Congo border of Bunagana as a COVID-19 preventive measure.

In March, President Yoweri Museveni ordered the closure of all Ugandan borders as one of the preventive measures against the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then Uganda Peoples Defense Forces (UPDF) soldiers have been heavily deployed along Uganda-Rwanda and DR Congo border.

******

URN