Uganda and DR Congo to jointly fight cross border car theft

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have agreed to coordinate military efforts to fight rising car theft across the common border.

The agreement was signed during a joint cross-border meeting between the province of Ituri and officials from the districts of Zombo, Nebbi, Pakwach, Koboko, Maracha, Arua and Arua City in Aru town, DR Congo on Monday.

Lt. Gen. Taban Amin, the deputy director-general of the Internal Security Organisation-ISO in charge of West Nile and Congo, signed the agreement on behalf of the Uganda government, while Lt. Gen. Johnny Luboya N’kashama, the provincial military governor Aru signed on behave of DR Congo.

In the agreement, the two countries committed to strengthen joint cross-border security engagement through timely intelligence collection to avert cross-border crime.

According to Gen Taban, although the situation along the common border is calm, there are emerging threats across the border lines that need the attention of the authorities of Uganda and DRC.

Gen Taban decried syndicated theft of motor vehicles and motorcycles which are always sold in DRC.

Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Johnny Luboya N’kashama on his part commended the renewed commitment between the two countries which he says is one of the long-lasting measures of addressing the rampant cases of car theft between the two states.

DR Congo has of over the past become a major destination and market for vehicles and motorcycles stolen from Uganda, according to security officials.

For instance, the stolen Arua hospital ambulance which was sold to a still-unnamed person in the DRC has since not yet been recovered.

Between 2017 and 2018, police flying squad of Uganda secured the recovery of over 60 Ugandan stolen cars from DRC.

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