Following many killings that are being linked to suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels, security officials in the Kasese area are advising the public to exercise caution.
The most recent attack happened on Tuesday, when two foreign visitors and their tour guide were sadly slain close to Lake Nyamununka, which is on the Kasese-Katwe route, about a kilometre away from the Kabatooro Gate to Mweya.
The Gorilla and Wildlife Safaris vehicle that the tourists were riding in was also set on fire by the attackers.
The District Resident Commissioner, Lt. Joe Walusimbi, stressed that in Kasese they are actively encouraging the community to be watchful and to report anyone they suspect of engaging in illegal activities or collaborating with criminals.
He added that the army and police have joined forces to form a joint team that is working harder to find the suspects and stop more assaults.
Nevertheless, Walusimbi chastised the public for criticizing the local security personnel for not doing enough. He maintained that the security personnel should be commended for their timely reaction and ability to thwart several recent attempts.
In the meanwhile, following the attack on Tuesday, the situation in Katwe Kabatoro Town Council has not yet returned to normal.
The head of town council LCIII, John Bosco Kananura, voiced worries that there is a great deal less activity at night and that the people who live inside the national park are living in fear.
He worries that the district as a whole and the town council’s economy would suffer as a result of these attacks.
Katwe town council member Alice Kabajogya said that the people there live in constant fear, particularly because they don’t know where the rebels who are thought to be responsible for Tuesday’s attack are thought to be.
Ronald Kabuku made a plea for the security forces to step up their surveillance, expressing shock that army-led patrols frequently take place in towns and could provide attackers a chance to target nearby people fearlessly.
The ADF rebels have been practising guerrilla warfare for a number of years with the goal of penetrating Uganda. They are reported to keep strongholds in the heavily forested parts of Ituri in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).