Rwenzururu Prime Minister In Detention Over 30 suspected attackers of the Bundibugyo police station and Kanyamirima military barracks on Saturday have been arrested. By Steven Ainganiza - Fort Gadget portral Police says fighters loyal to King Mumbere were behind the Rwenzori attacks in which scores were killed Police says fighters loyal to King Mumbere were behind the Rwenzori attacks in which scores were killed They were netted in a joint operation carried out by the UPDF and police force. The attackers were first detained at Bundibugyo police station before being transferred to an unknown area for interrogation. The Resident District Commissioner RDC Bundibugyo Pious Mujuzi confirmed the arrest of the suspects on Sunday afternoon. He said the security suspects that the attackers were the (Emango Za Rwenzururu) headed by Rwenzururu king Charles Wesley Irimangoma Mumbere. The RDC said the attackers were nabbed with spears, pangs, axes and arrows. Mr. Mujuzi said we are having suspects in detention to establish the motive of these gruesome attacks. Their identities could not be revealed for fear of jeopardizing the investigations. In detention, according to RDC, is the deputy Prime Minister Rwenzururu kingdom Hon Yerimiya Mutooro. RDC denied allegations that Mutooro was among the planners of the attacks. “He was put into safe custody after angry youth raided his home and attempted to attack his family on allegations that he was behind these attacks,” said Mujuzi. It should be remembered that last month after the coronation of Maj. Martin Kamya as the Cultural leader of Obudhingiya Bwa Bamba in Bundibugyo district, the police clashed with rival Rwenzururu kingdom supporters loyal to King Wesley Charles Mumbere Irimangoma. The Obusinga look at the formation of Bamba monarchy as a ploy to undermine the greater Rwenzururu Kingdom. Bundibugyo District police Commander, Alex Mwine Mukono, told Chimpreports then that a gang of hostile youth reportedly mobilised by Rwenzururu cultural leaders forcefully embarked on the renovation of Omusinga’s Shrine based in Kirindi village, Harugali Sub County without the consent of the police on Monday. Mwine said police had earlier issued warnings to Rwenzururu king and other cultural leaders against crossing into the Bamba’s territory without clearance from authorities. “When police blocked them, these unruly youth who were in possession of pangas, arrows, bows and stones turned violent and started fighting us,” said Mwiine. The officer’s gun was also stolen by the rioting youths. It appears after being defeated by police, the youth later reorganised to stage deadlier attacks. The fighting comes against the backdrop of President Museveni’s warning against rivalry among kingdoms in Rwenzori region. Attending Kamya’s coronation, Museveni urged kingdoms in the Rwenzori areas to live together in harmony. “I appeal to you to stop the unnecessary rivalries among the cultural heads. You should always work out a win-win solution for the diverse communities in the respective regions,” said the President. “No community is subservient to the other. Every community, big or small, was put here by God and must be respected. Anybody who cannot see this is in the wrong place.” More dead bodies The death toll stands at 69. Army officials in Rwenzori on Sunday said 50 attackers and a civilian were killed when the militants attacked the UPDF barracks but army spokesperson, Lt Col Paddy Ankunda on Saturday evening put the death toll at 41. Police publicist, Fred Enanga had earlier said in a press release that 18 people including police officers were killed in the fighting but did not provide figures on the barracks attack. The fighting which spread over Ntoroko, Bundibugyo and Kasese has plunged the western region into a state of fear and panic. Mujuzi disclosed that three bodies of some attackers were lying at Stanbic bank Bundibugyo branch. They were shot dead as they attempted to break into the bank to steal money. Three other bodies were also found a Bundibugyo police station and 41 scattered near Kanyamirima army barracks, according to Mujuzi. This implies the death toll could rise higher with more discoveries of dead bodies. Police said the ‘radical thugs linked to Obusinga bwa Rwenzururu’ first attacked Kicho Police Post, before pouncing on Bundibugyo Police Station where they killed two Policemen that included Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Wilson Mugume Bataka the Officer-in-Charge Station and Police Constable Aliga Swaibu. Armed with pangas and machetes, over 200 attackers on Saturday afternoon raided Bundibugyo police station and disarmed the police officers. They took off with five guns which they used to launch more attacks. They would later descend on Kanyamirima barracks where they launched a ferocious assault. The UPDF soldiers responded with heavy gunfire thus repulsing the assailants. In a Sunday telephone interview with our Fort Portal based reporter, the UPDF spokesperson for Rwenzori region, Lt. Ninsiima Rwemijuma, confirmed that 51 attackers died in the Saturday night attack on the UPDF barracks. “When they tried to attack the Kanyamirima barracks, the army responded by firing at them seriously. In the scuffle the UPDF managed to kill 50 attackers,” Lt. Ninsiima added. When asked whether the attackers were ADF rebels, Ninsiima said, “I cannot rule out the attackers being rebels because of the nature of the attack.” He, however, quickly said , UPDF remain heavily deployed in all corners of the region to hunt down the assailants which some residents have linked to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) operating in the neighbouring DRC. Lt. Ninsiima asked the people to remain calm “because the UPDF have deployed enough soldiers to patrol the area, arrest the enemies and contain the situation that had caused panic among them.”
Posted on: Sun, 06 Jul 2014 12:20:00 +0000