Uganda: More than 200 prisoners escape from a prison in northeastern Uganda

Madrid, September 17 (Europe Press) –

The Ugandan army is conducting a massive search by helicopter and ground patrols for more than 200 inmates who escaped from a prison in the northeast of the country on Wednesday.

219 prisoners escaped from the prison near the remote town of Moroto, about 500 km from Kampala, stormed the armory and seized the weapons, the region’s military spokesman, Peter Mugisha, told DPA.

The spokesman said that a soldier and three escaped prisoners were killed in the exchange of fire between the two sides and seven others were arrested again.

“We lost one of our soldiers when these guys shot us during the operation. We are chasing them and using a helicopter to direct the troops on the ground,” he explained.

According to the local newspaper “Daily Monitor”, among the escaped prisoners are men and women who were convicted of various crimes and managed to escape into the forest on Mount Moroto.

For his part, Commissioner-General of Prisons, Johnson Biapshaiga, indicated that the escaped prisoners took with them fourteen weapons, and specified that they were prisoners waiting to receive the results of Covid-19 tests, according to what the newspaper reported, “New Vision.”

According to these means, the fugitives split into three groups on their journey on Mt. Mokoto. The search operations, in which three helicopters participated, stopped at night and resumed this morning with reinforcements from the army, police and prison service.

Sources consulted by “New Vision” attributed the escape to a lack of investment by the authorities in intelligence and tension between the prisoners, after the prison was partially confined after 30 inmates tested positive for Covid-19. The confirmed cases were transferred to another center, while the rest remained in quarantine.