Police in Yumbe District are investigating an incident in which two people sustained gunshot wounds during an enforcement operation involving Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) officials and Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) personnel. The incident occurred over the weekend near the Arua-Yumbe-Obongi road junction.
According to police, the victims are two young men aged 16 and 21, whose identities have not yet been established. They are currently receiving treatment at Yumbe Regional Referral Hospital.
Preliminary information indicates that the URA enforcement team, escorted by UPDF personnel, was conducting an operation targeting unregistered motorcycles and suspected smugglers when they encountered a group of youths who allegedly attempted to disrupt the operation. Police say the youths pelted the URA vehicle and officers with stones and other objects after the enforcement team stopped at the trading centre. During the confrontation,
UPDF personnel reportedly fired shots into the air to scare and disperse the crowd. Two people were injured in the process. The victims were reportedly rushed to Yumbe Regional Referral Hospital by sympathisers, while the URA enforcement team left the scene shortly after the incident. Collins Asea, the Police Spokesperson for North West Nile, says a case of unlawful wounding has been registered at Yumbe Police Station.
Statements have so far been recorded from the victims and one witness as investigations continue. Asea has, however, cautioned members of the public against confronting or provoking armed enforcement officers while they are carrying out what he described as lawful duties. He has also appealed to the public to remain calm, avoid interfering with enforcement operations and provide information that could assist police in establishing what happened.
The incident has drawn condemnation from local leaders in Yumbe and across the West Nile region, who have accused URA enforcement officials of using excessive force during operations in the area.
Similar shooting incidents involving URA enforcement teams have been reported in recent years in Arua, Madi Okollo, Zombo, Pakwach, Arua City, Maracha, Koboko and Moyo, with more than five people reportedly killed in the incidents.
URA officials have previously acknowledged some of the incidents, saying they resulted from operational errors. In some cases, the authority has reportedly compensated victims or their families.
However, URA has also attributed some confrontations to the actions of individual enforcement officers and what it has described as mob violence during operations-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
