Africa
UPDF on High Alert After Deadly Border Clashes with South Sudanese Forces
The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has intensified security along the country’s northern border with South Sudan following a series of deadly clashes that have left four soldiers dead and hundreds of civilians displaced in Yumbe District.
According to Nasser Mene, the UPDF spokesperson for the West Nile region, the army has stepped up surveillance and round-the-clock patrols to prevent further incursions by elements of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and allied militia groups.
The heightened alert comes in the wake of late-July fighting near South Sudan’s Kajo-Keji area, in which one Ugandan soldier and three South Sudanese soldiers were killed. Tensions flared again last Friday when South Sudanese troops reportedly crossed into Komurofe Village in Munducaku Parish, Yumbe District, torching several houses and destroying property.
The attack forced hundreds of residents to flee their homes, with many now seeking refuge at a nearby primary school. Mene said the army is determined to restore normalcy and protect civilians returning to their homes.
“Our troops are doing day and night patrols to ensure those wrong elements don’t enter our villages again, and to make sure all the locals who are going to resettle back in their villages stay in peace,” Mene told Xinhua in a telephone interview.
The unrest is the latest in a long-running land dispute between Uganda’s Yumbe and Moyo districts and South Sudan’s Kajo-Keji region. The contested territory has been a flashpoint for violent clashes and cross-border tensions for years, with both communities accusing each other of encroachment.
In an effort to prevent further escalation, Uganda and South Sudan have set up a joint committee tasked with addressing the dispute. The body is expected to conduct joint border verification exercises, mediate between affected communities, and recommend long-term conflict resolution measures.
Regional security analysts warn that unless the dispute is resolved, periodic flare-ups could continue to undermine peace along the border. The violence has also raised concerns among humanitarian agencies, who say displaced residents urgently need food, shelter, and medical care.
While both governments have publicly committed to dialogue, recent incidents have tested bilateral relations, with calls from civil society for faster implementation of the joint border demarcation process.
For residents of Yumbe’s border villages, the hope is that military protection and diplomatic engagement will prevent a repeat of the violence that has once again disrupted lives and livelihoods.
Comments
