Tuesday, July 24th, 2018

Open letter to the presidents of Uganda and the DRC: Stop the killing of fishermen and maintain peace on Lake Edward

Your Excellencies,
We, environmental and human rights Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, express our deep concerns in relation to the subject matter above.
As you are well aware your Excellencies, between July 5 and 7, 2018, the Ugandan navy and that of the DRC engaged in fatal skirmishes on Lake Edward. This saw over 37 Ugandans and Congolese die or go missing.  

In particular, seven Ugandans including four military personnel and three civilians were killed. Over 30 Congolese fishermen were also killed or went missing.  
The fact that over 37 Ugandan and Congolese nationals died or went missing stands to not only betray the good neighborly relations between our two countries but also to compromise the livelihoods of communities in Uganda and the DRC who earn a living from  Lake Edward living through fishing. Read More: Open letter calling on Ugandan and DRC presidents to stop the killing of fishermen on L Edward