By Godfrey Olukya 23-10-2012
Zambian fishermen on river Luapula which is at the broader with Democratic republic of Congo have accuse Congolese soldiers of robbing them and grabbing their boats.
They claim that Congolese soldiers later sell off the boats they steal from them in their country. The Congolese soldiers often allege that the Zambians are illegally on their side of the river before robbing them at gun point.
The latest incident involved a Zambian fisherman being shot and wounded by Congolese marine officers on Luapula River in Mwense District. Webby Mambwe, 32, was shot last Sunday while having a meal in the company of five others.
Zambia’s marine officer, Charles Chilwa said, ‘The Congolese soldiers confronted Mambwe and his colleagues on Sunday. They tried to grab their boat and they resisted. One of the soldiers shot at Mambwe and a bullet went in through his cheek and grazed the left side of his neck. He is admitted to Mansa General Hospital.’
Mambwe said he was with five of his colleagues having a meal at Lusangu fishing Camp in Chief Lukwesa’a area in Mwense when the six Congolese attacked them.
Mambwe said, ‘We were on Zambia’s side of the river when four Congolese soldiers attacked us. They said they wanted the boat, but when we resisted, they started firing in the air and one of them aimed at me. They overpowered us and took the boat.’
He said that the Congolese were in the habit of grabbing boats from Zambians so that they could sell them in their country. Medical officers at the hospital said Mambwe would soon be taken to the theater for an operation immediately he stabilizes.
Authorities in Zambia said they will contact their counterparts in Democratic republic of Congo for an explanation. They said that was not the first time for Congolese soldiers to mistreat Zambian fishermen.
20 Zambian fishermen were in May 2012 arrested by Congolese marines for allegedly straying onto the Congolese side of Lake Mweru. They were however later released in an exchange for a Congolese soldier who had been captured by some fishermen after trying to rob them.
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