Rwandan army on patrol killed two women smuggling several liters of fiercely strong alcohol, a senior local administrative official confirmed Saturday.
The women were killed in Nyagatare a district in North Eastern Rwanda after cross through porous points on the border with Uganda.
The Mayor of Nyagatare district Davis Mushabe said the incident occurred at Rwempasha, a village near the highly porous entry point with Uganda which mostly used by by small-scale traders, from both sides of the border.
Yet Rwandan law categorises all drinks with an alcohol content of more than 45 per cent including Kanyanga as narcotics, a steady supply is being smuggled into Uganda under the watch of the authorities and where customs officials say they experience serious difficulties monitoring the border.
In a similar incident, two people were killed in May this year during a shooting incident while attempting to cross the border from Uganda at an unapproved point.
Reports said the incident occurred during night after Rwandan security forces on patrol intercepted a suspected smuggler on a motorcycle who had crossed the border from Uganda.
During the shooting incident, a Ugandan and Rwandan citizen were killed. Smuggling has been described as a highly profitable business in the border region between Rwanda and Uganda.
The shooting incident comes in the midst of strained relations between Rwanda and Uganda since February this year over economic and political disagreements.
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).
CU/abj/APA