Kampala — UGANDA has asked the democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to respect the terms of the Ngurdoto and Dar-es-Salaam agreements in order to solve the border disputes.

The agreements were signed by President Yoweri Museveni and his Congolese counterpart, Joseph Kabila, on September 8, 2007 and May 11, 2008, respectively.

The agreements were intended to solve the Uganda-DRC border row over Rukwanzi Island in the oil-rich Lake Albert and Goli in the West Nile region.

International relations minister Henry Okello Oryem has asked the Congolese officials to "refresh" themselves with the terms of the agreements.

"The Congolese should appreciate the terms of the agreements which spell out how the border will be re-marked," Oryem said.

On June 7, there was tension along the Uganda-DRC border in Nebbi District after the Congolese started constructing a police post in the contested Goli area.

Tempers flared when the Nebbi Resident District Commissioner, Betty Adima, demanded an unconditional halt to the construction of the post.

But the 20-member Congolese team, which included two MPs, vowed to continue constructing.

Adima said the post was being built within 50 metres of Goli, which is a buffer zone. She added that the builders were guarded by Congolese armed forces, which caused panic among the residents.

She blamed the Congolese officials for ignoring the Ngurdoto Agreement which called for the demarcation of the boundaries.