Calm in Bundibugyo

http://ugandaradionetwork.com/a/story.php?s=53953

There is calm in Bundibugyo after government blocked Charles Wesley Mumbere’s visit there to celebrate the peace day.

Yesterday, there were running battles in Bundibugyo town between the police and Bakonzo youths from Ntandi Sub County who were matching to the venue of the Peace Day Celebrations.

In the town, people are going on with their business, but some shops remain closed.

There is heavy deployment of police and UPDF soldiers on the streets of the town. All vehicles that are entering the town are thoroughly checked by UPDF and police officers.

Several roadblocks have also been set up on the road to Bundibugyo like at Kichwamba in Kabarole district, at Karugutu in Ntoroko district and at Ntandi, ten kilometers to Bundibugyo town.

At Good Hope Primary School playground, the venue of the celebrations, there is heavy deployment of police.  Some of the tents that had been erected yesterday by Bakonzo youths have been removed by the police.

In a telephone interview, the District Police Commander, Denis Namuhoza told Uganda Radio Network that deployment of security officers will go ahead until the situation stabilizes.  He says that the police are carrying out operations in areas like Bughendera, where police suspect that the Bakonzo youths are in possession of dangerous weapons like spears,knives and posion laced arrows.

On Friday, the government blocked Mumbers’s visit to Bundibugyo, arguing that his visit may provoke violence as the Bamba/Babwisi communities have protested celebrations being held in Bundibugyo.

The Bamba and Babwisi, who form the majority in Bundibugyo, early this month, protested the Rwenzururu King’s visit accusing him of imposing himself on them. A similar a year ago resulted into clashes between Bamba and Bakonzo leaving at least 400 people displaced.

The annual peace day celebrations are hosted in Bundibugyo because it is where the Rwenzururu Kingdom flag was first hoisted on Kasulenge hill on June 30, 1962 to declare independence from Tooro Kingdom. On that day, representatives from Busongora and Bwamba walked out of the Tooro Parliament, the Orukurato, accusing Omukama George Rukidi III and his kingdom of oppressing Bakonzo and Bamba.