Fishmongers Protest Alleged Extortion, Delays At Elegu Border Amid Tensions With Fisheries Protection Unit

ARUA. Fishmongers and transporters have staged a protest at the Uganda-South Sudan border in Elegu, decrying alleged extortion and harassment by Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU) officials.

The traders accuse the FPU of colluding with some clearing agents to impose hefty, unreceipted fees and forcing them to use specific companies, suspected to be linked to FPU superiors – for clearing fish imports, against their will.

The escalating tensions prompted Amuru Resident District Commissioner, Osborn Ocheng to convene an emergency meeting on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. Minutes from the closed-door session revealed admissions from some clearing agents, who confirmed collecting payments from traders on FPU directives before clearing their trucks.

Shortly after the closed-door meeting, Mathew Tonny, the chairperson of the Leudier and Goi Fish Traders’ Union, a licensed fish import company primarily serving Arua market, reported that for the last three days, two trucks loaded with their fish are still held at Elegu border because the fisheries protection unit wants them to declare the fish consignment using their companies.

“But we said no, our consignment has to be declared as our consignment. At the border of entry, we have the right to declare our consignment without being intimated like the FPU does. Like you can see the two trucks here were meant to go to Arua but they were detained by the FPU for us declining to declare them using their companies,” Tonny stated.

He further said the FPU team is fond of limiting fish supply to Arua market which is the mother market of the fish coming from South Sudan.

“When a truck is loaded with fish, they charge extra charges without accountability and no receipts. We pay this money without knowing what we are paying for yet we are paying taxes to Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) at the border point. We are made to pay extra money for taking fish to Arua market yet the fish which goes to Mpondwe market goes freely without being disturbed. Is the Arua market different from the Mpondwe market?” Tonny wondered.

“Why is that the fish protection unity is fighting the Arua market, fighting the flow of fish business in Arua which has already employed a thousand of Ugandans who are making a living out of the business, what is the interest of the fisheries protection unit in forcing these Kangaroo companies that have no consignments to clear our fish without even transfer of ownership?” Tonny further asked.  

Loice Kazuba, the Chairperson of Arua Fishmongers’ Association, noted that they are making a lot of loss because of the unnecessary penalties being levied by FPU officers on the fish destined for Arua market.

“We are currently suffering and yet my women are working with loans. All my women trading in fish in Arua market are NRM and they support President Yoweri Museveni so much. This is our government but we are now not enjoying it because of what the fisheries protection unit is doing to us at the Elegu border post. President Museveni should help us to avoid the opposition from infiltrating my women because of FPU action ahead of the 2026 general elections,” Kazuba appealed.  

Relatedly, Herbert Odankie Mucunguzi, the Commercial Manager of Leudier and Goi fish traders’ union, said they are in Elegu because they wanted to sit with the concerned stakeholders so that they can address the key pertinent issues.

“As we do our business, we have met many encumbrances which include being stopped at the border yet this fish business is very sensitive because they are perishable. First of all, we get this fish from Bor, so many kilometers deep in South Sudan. This is a business that brings together South Sudan, Uganda and DR Congo, and it has been flowing until recently when the South Sudanese were being frustrated at the Elegu border by FPU.

We pay a lot of taxes and the trickle-down effects to the people who are involved in this value chain are so many because we have over 1000 to 1500 ladies who are involved in this business, youths and all the businessmen. Now what is happening is that we are being stopped yet we want fair trade. We have so many members and when they come, they are forced to go and clear with other companies yet our union is mandated to do that,” Mucunguzi explained.

He said they have already petitioned the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) and the Amuru RDC who later convened a very good meeting in trying to resolve the matter.

“What we want is fair trade, we don’t want to feel as if we are being squeezed, we are being marginalized, we are being targeted because we contribute a lot to the GDP, we contribute to the relationship across the border, we are trying to work together with everybody but what is happening is FPU stops our trucks and we feel that there is an issue that is concerned about clearance and we are questioning why?” Mucunguzi remarked.

Mucunguzi said they have now decided to leave no stone unturned, warning that even if it means reaching the President they are ready to do so because this is a very sensitive political season which may make President Museveni lose votes in West Nile if not handled with care.

Ramandan Adaku, the Chairperson for Clearing Agents Association at Elegu, said way back in 2021 they have been moving on with fish clearance very well until 2024 when changes came from the side of fisheries by introducing FPU.

He said when FPU came in, they started enforcing the issue of truck license, trade license and along the way, there were challenges in terms of trade which has greatly affected collection of taxes due to the inconveniences caused.  

However, by press time on Wednesday, Mercy Tukahirwa, the Commander of FPU, couldn’t pick our calls to clarify on the numerous allegations against her unit.

But when contacted, Noah Isooba, an official from MAAIF attached to Fisheries, said the FPU is an enforcement arm of the ministry and it doesn’t issue licenses.

He stressed that FPU is at the border only to ensure that whoever is trading, is trading within the regulatory framework; that is the transporter must have a license, if it is a truck, it must be licensed, if a consignment arrives, import permit for the same must have been secured.

“Now when you tell me that FPU is forcing the traders to use other companies, that sounds so much extra ordinary because ideally, we expect the trader and the clearing agent to approach the FPU with his documents that me as Leudier and Goi here I am, I have this fishery import permit, I have this truck license and I want to clear my consignment. That is what I expect, so it appears like the FPU gets to know the consignment even before the owner of the consignment or even before the clearance agent which to me in the principles of clearance appears to be abnormal,” Isooba explained.

Isooba also clarified that anything to do with money whether non-tax revenues are all paid through URA, emphasizing that it is only URA which is charged with collection of taxes and that there is nothing monetary which is handled by the office of FPU.

In the same spirit, Abbey Mawerere, the URA Regional Manager Northern Uganda Customs Department, said that when it comes to taxes, all taxes are paid in the bank, stressing that even customs officers do not touch money.

But he said when it comes to fisheries licenses or any payments with fisheries, URA is not in position to confirm.

Meanwhile Mawerere said the most important thing is that URA at Elegu Customs ensures that all the fish which comes into the country from South Sudan pays the due taxes.

“The process of clearance at the border involves declaration of taxes by the owner of the fish immediately it arrives here at Elegu Customs and what we refer to as self-declaration, you declare what you have and you make a payment before customs confirm what is declared,” Mawerere stated.