Charles Ariko
1 November 2007
Kampala — TWO aid workers of the Paris-based Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED) were yesterday killed and another seriously wounded by suspected robbers in Amuru district.
"On November 1, an ACTED vehicle travelling in Anaka sub-county, Amuru district, carrying four local staff, was ambushed by unidentified gunmen," the organisation said in a statement.
"Two staff were shot dead, one was injured and one escaped. The attackers robbed the vehicle occupants and escaped."
The organisation said it was "shocked and distressed at this sudden tragedy".
ACTED, it added, would fully support the Ugandan authorities in carrying out all necessary investigations.
The army spokesman for northern Uganda, Lt. Chris Magezi, identified the dead as Geoffrey Otiiki, the driver, and Martin Onen, the superviser.
He added that the incident took place between Gulu and Anaka, in an area known as Alokolum-Gwok.
The UPDF suspects it to be a robbery because the vehicle was carrying an unspecified amount of cash.
"Before those workers left Gulu, they went on Mega FM radio and announced that they were travelling to Amuru to pay the workers who had been repairing the road," Magezi said.
ACTED was reportedly contracted by the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, to open the roads meant to facilitate the return of internally-displaced people to their villages.
According to the organisation's website, ACTED is a non-political and non-religious international relief agency, created in Afghanistan.
The first projects were initiated in Kabul in 1993 to bring relief to populations affected by more than 15 years of conflict.
Its activities expanded to neighbouring Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan and later to Central Africa, helping populations affected by the Congo-Brazzaville conflict, and the Darfur crisis. Apart from emergency relief, the organisation is also involved in projects of food security, health promotion, economic development, education and training, micro-finance and cultural promotion.
ACTED is active in 20 countries, including Uganda.
The organisation employs approximately 100 international staff and more than 2,000 national staff.
The headquarters are located in Paris, France.
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