April 29, 2009 -Uganda has lowered its flag on the disputed Migingo Island in Lake Victoria to pave way for the demarcation exercise. At the directive of President Yoweri Museveni, the flag came down at 6:30pm on Monday in a ceremony led by the assistant Police superintendent, Agapitus Ecotu. Museveni, who is in Arusha for the East African Community Summit, said the lowering of the flag was done in the spirit of regional co-operation and integration. "In taking this decision, the President also considered the need for flag neutrality on the island during the border verification exercise," read a press statement from the Uganda Media Centre. "This is not a climb-down by Uganda, just a gesture whereby, in terms of visibility, the process starts on neutral ground," commented Fred Opolot, the Government's spokesperson at a press conference yesterday. He, however, said the Government will not withdraw its Police officers deployed on the island to maintain law and order. Their presence was agreed during an April 2 meeting by the Police chiefs of both countries. A joint technical team from Kenya and Uganda will start the demarcation process tomorrow, Opolot announced, adding that he is optimistic the May 14 deadline will be met. He further said a Ugandan team had travelled to London to collect maps and relevant colonial documents and were expected to return last evening. (New Vision)

< Prev		Next >