Kisiwa cha Migingo ambacho huwa kiini cha ugomvi baina ya Kenya na Uganda hakiishi vituko, sasa maaskari wa Uganda wamezunguka kote na kuwakusanya Watanzania waliokua wanavua samaki na kuishi kinyemela na kuwafukuza, hao Watanzania 200 wamepata hifadhi ya ukimbizi kwenye kisiwa kingine cha karibu kinachomilikiwa na Wakenya.
Hawa hapa baadhi ya hao Watanzania 200
Tanzanians who were evicted from Migingo Island by Uganda authorities sheltering at an island manned by Kenyan authorities. /COURTESY
Tension is high at the disputed Migingo Island after Ugandan security officers evicted Tanzanian citizens from the area.
A source at the Island told Star more than 200 Tanzanians are stranded after the eviction that is likely to ruin diplomatic relations between the two East African countries.
They are sheltering at another nearby island, 50 metres from Migingo, where the Kenyan security and Fisheries base is located.
"The harassment of Tanzanian citizens by Ugandan police has been rife for the last three months. The Ugandan police say Migingo Island belongs to Uganda and that Tanzanians are unwelcome," the source, who sought anonymity for security reasons, said.
The source disclosed that Ugandan authorities started the evictions after Tanzanian fisheries authorities halted their patrol in Lake Victoria, especially areas around Migingo.
The disputed island is manned by a joint security team from Kenya and Uganda.
Migingo Island is inhabited by Kenyans, Ugandans, Tanzanians and South Sudanese citizens engaging in fishing.
The water surrounding the tiny Island is rich in Nile Perch and has been a centre of dispute between Kenya and Uganda over the years.
Tension in Migingo as Ugandan police evicts 200 Tanzanian fishers