Rwanda National Police

Police in Nyamasheke District reach out to 82 fishermen operating in Lake Kivu and fishmongers and urged them to fight and report any criminal and illegal acts committed in or through the lake.

Inspector of Police (IP) Philippe Abizeye, the District Community Liaison Officer (DCLO) of Nyamasheke, while addressing them in Kagano Sector, recently, observed that there are some people who use the water body to traffic drugs, smuggle goods or engage in illegal fishing activities.

“When you are conducting your businesses in this lake it also becomes your responsibility to ensure that no one uses it in criminals or unlawful activities and work with security organs to ensure that wrongdoers are arrested,” the DCLO said.

On several occasion, drug dealers and smugglers have been arrested trying to sneak smuggled goods and trafficked narcotic drugs into the country.

On January this year during a campaign against drugs held in Rubavu District, a woman gave a testimony on house she would swim through the water body from the DR Congo, with cannabis.

Meanwhile, IP Abizeye also cautioned against using substandard fishing nets.

Lake Kivu, which is about 1,000 square kilometers, borders Rwanda with Democratic Republic of Congo.

Eliezer Ndahayo, the head of the fishing cooperative in Kagano also reiterated the need for collaboration with the authourites in order to sustain their businesses.

He said the cooperative has established clear communication lines with police to report anyone using the lake in any unlawful acts.