RANGER KILLED IN SHOOTOUT WITH IVORY TRADERS
(Posted 18th March 2019)
UWA ranger sergeant Philemon Asasira was killed two days ago while engaged in an operation to net ivory smugglers at Bwambara sub-county, Rukungiri district in Western Uganda. The location is not far from the Congo border and the Queen Elizabeth National Park’s southern side.
After trying to arrest the traders together with several of his colleagues did the gang open fire on the UWA staff, fatally wounding Sgt. Asasira who died while enroute to a nearby hospital.
At least one suspect was arrested while the Uganda Police are hunting down others involved in the ivory trade.
Uganda thankfully does not have a major poaching problem but has been used for years as a transit route for blood ivory from Congo – and also South Sudan – to reach the Indian Ocean port of Mombasa for shipment to the buyers in East Asia.
Condolences are expressed to the late Sgt. Asasira’s family, friends and colleagues on this sad occasion.
