A soldier belonging to the Ugandan army deployed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been arrested over fatally shooting his commanding officer and three others, officials said on Monday.
The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) soldier at the rank of Sergeant fatally shot his commanding officer, the officer’s bodyguard, and two women on Saturday following a brawl at a bar in Mahagi Territory, DR Congo.
The victims were identified as Maj Gabriel Ukoya, Sgt Mathew Ovuni, Pascaline Giramiya, a Ugandan, and Mandawun Abedirwoth, the Congolese bar owner.
According to a source in Mahagi, the incident stemmed from a personal dispute.
“I heard gunshots at the bar side and the people with whom they were drinking said the soldier accused his boss of having an affair with his girlfriend,” the source said, requesting anonymity for security reasons.
The confrontation occurred at a bar near Zale Airport.
‘He could have acted under influence of alcohol but it is unfortunate that he killed other innocent people also,’ the source added.
Brig Gen Felix Busizoori, commander of UPDF’s 4th Division, confirmed the soldier’s arrest on Monday.
‘It is true that the soldier killed his senior and three others. Whether he acted under influence of alcohol or not, we shall prosecute him because we arrested him today,’ he told Monitor.
A board of inquiry has since been dispatched to Mahagi to investigate the incident and report back.
Brig Gen Busizoori said the soldier will be tried at the scene of the crime.
‘We will try that soldier at the scene of crime in Mahagi to act as a deterrent to others and also not to make us lose the public trust by the Congolese,’ he said.
The UPDF has been operating in DR Congo since November 2021 under Operation Shujaa against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).