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Six injured as refugees clash with locals in Uganda

Friday November 24 2017
kyaka

Refugees at the Kyaka II camp in western Uganda. PHOTO | FELIX BASIIME | NMG

By MONITOR

At least six people were injured in a clash between refugees and Ugandan nationals in the western Kyegegwa district on Thursday.

According to the police, skirmishes erupted after leaders of the Kyaka II refugee camp moved to evict some nationals from a disputed land.

"The settlement administration had an exercise of evicting people from the settlement land by demolishing some structures. This prompted locals to stone them and police was called in later to disperse them," said the Rwenzori West police spokesperson Lydia Tumushabe.

She was quick to add that those hurt were injured by “stones not bullets.”

However, the Kyegegwa District chairman Mr John Kisoke said, "The camp commandant led police to evict nationals near the settlement in a disputed area which led to clashes before police fired teargas and live bullets injuring some people".

A commissioner from the prime minister’s office as well as the district and local officials are scheduled to meet Friday with the warring parties.

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UNHCR responds

"We are aware of a security incident that occurred in Kyaka II involving a refugee demonstration that was dispersed by the police. At the moment we are awaiting further details," an official of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) told Daily Monitor.

Since refugees were settled in the area two years ago, land disputes have been frequent pitting the hosts against refugees. The locals contend that part of their land was encroached on.

Kyaka II hosts mainly Congolese refugees.

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