Government has secured the release of five Zambian fishermen who were detained at Kilwa Mulenga in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The five fish mongers were released yesterday around 13 00 hours after a meeting between the Zambian delegation and Congolese officials held at Burea Du Cadre De Concertation Societe at Kilwa Mulenga.
Nchelenge District Commissioner (DC) Royd Chakaba led the Zambian delegation while the Territorial Administrator for Mpweto District Ngombe Mwamba was the leader of the Congolese team and chaired the meeting.
After an hour and half negotiations the Congolese officials agreed to release the Zambian nationals in exchange for the release of the Congolese fishermen that were in detention at Kilwa Nshimba immigration post on the Zambian side for illegal entry.
Joshua Makamba 20, Timothy Masongo 28, John Mwansa 20, Lewis Kabamba 30 and the 32 year old Philip Mwansa were apprehended by the Congolese officials for using mosquito nets for fishing about two weeks ago and were detained at Kilwa Mulenga.
And the Territorial Administrator for Mpweto District in DRC, Ngombe Mwamba called for strengthened ties between Zambia and his country.
Mr. Mwamba said there is need to strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries to reduce on crime and enhance trade.
He said it is regrettable that the two neigbhouring countries could only meet when there were problems.
Earlier Mr. Mwamba complained of ill treatment by the Zambian authorities in Nchelenge District of Luapula Province.
He observed that the refusal by the Zambian authorities to accord his team a chance to table their concerns recently though at short notice undermined the bilateral relations between the two nations.
Meanwhile Nchelenge District Commissioner (DC) Royd Chakaba conveyed a message of condolences to the people of DRC over ten lives that perished on the Luapula River.
Mr. Chakaba said President Edgar Lungu regretted the death of the ten people from Nkole Island who drowned last week.
What is wrong with the DRC? The most backward African country right after Somalia.
To call you an idiot will be a honour! you are nought in IQ and you do sometimes think your House is a country !
The world could be better without DRC
Zambian delegation naive like always. Why not complain of thieves from DRC. Bakaboke batushupa
I thought that those fishermen decided to go back to Kola because there’s not enough chaos in Zambia. DRC should just have kept some of their own. Any PFool who fishes with mosquito nets, explosives and poison deserves to stay in a DRC prison forever.