Roundup: Uganda on high alert as neighboring DR Congo goes to the polls
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E-mail Xinhua, December 29, 2018
KAMPALA, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- As the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is scheduled to hold general elections on Sunday, neighboring Uganda is on high alert at the military, health and refugee fronts.
Richard Karemire, Uganda's military spokesperson, told Xinhua by telephone on Saturday that the army has beefed up security at its western common border with volatile eastern DRC.
"We continue to be prepared in case on any incursions on our territory by the Allied Democratic Forces rebels (ADF).That one has always been steady and has become a permanent phenomenon on our part to keep on maximum alert," Karemire said.
Karemire added that the ADF could use the high numbers of fleeing Congolese to infiltrate the border.
ADF is a Ugandan rebel group holed up in the jungles of eastern DRC together with other Congolese militia groups.
Karemire said military has sufficient forces along the border. "We are supported by Local Defense Units. We recruited thousands of them sometime back," Karemire said.
REFUGEE FRONT
The UN refugee agency in a recent interview with Xinhua said in case there is an overflow of Congolese seeking refuge in Uganda, humanitarian agencies are ready to handle them.
There are fears that there is likely to be post-election violence after the Sunday vote.
Duniya Aslam Khan, spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Uganda, said additional resources may be required in case there is an influx of refugees.
According to the inter-agency Refugee Response plan for 2019-2020, about 416 million U.S. dollars is needed for 2019 to respond to the humanitarian needs of the Congolese refugees in Uganda.
According to UNHCR figures, about 300,000 Congolese refugees are expected to be hosted in Uganda by the end of 2018. Many of them flee fighting in north and south Kivu regions.
HEALTH FRONT
Parts of eastern DRC are experiencing an Ebola outbreak, according the World Health Organization (WHO).
Facing the challenge, Uganda says it is tightening border surveillance just in case there is an influx of people crossing as a result of possible election violence.
"We are putting in place measures to ensure that we have the capacity to screen whatever numbers may flock into the country," Ruth Aceng, Uganda's minister of health told Xinhua in a recent interview.
Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam, WHO Country Representative, told Xinhua that efforts have been doubled ahead of the polls to prevent the spread of the highly contagious disease into the country.
"There has been an effort by the ministry and its partners to prevent the spread of the disease. The volunteer health teams have been briefed and are intensifying surveillance," said Woldemariam.
"Even if people pass and they get sick, the community is the second line of defense and that capacity has been enhanced in the last few weeks," he said. Enditem
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