Rwanda security agents investigating suspected smuggling across the border with neighboring Uganda have fatally shot a person and wounded several others while attempting to use porous entry points, a Police source confirmed Sunday.
The Spokesperson of Rwanda National Police, John Bosco Kabera explained that the victim had smuggled dozens of boxes of one of the most popular Uganda- brewed hard liquor called waragi,to Rwanda.
“The victim who is a Rwanda national was shot dead during a night patrol at around 11:00 PM local time at a village in Burera district in Rwanda by Rwandan security forces on allegations that he was smuggling liquor into Rwanda,” said Commissioner Kabera.
The political tension between the two countries climaxed in February last year when Rwanda closed its border and blocked all goods from Uganda.
In November last year, two other women suspected to be smugglers carrying several litres of strong alcohol brewed from bananas known as ‘Kanyanga’ were shot dead by the Rwandan army on patrol in the northern district of Nyagatare.
Similarly, two people were killed in May last year during a shooting incident while attempting to cross the border from Uganda at an unapproved point.
Kigali has accused Kampala of supporting Rwandan rebel groups including the Rwanda National Congress (RNC) and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
Kampala has always denied these allegations.
CU/abj/APA