Ugandan troops and South Sudanese soldiers have traded fire near a disputed area of the two countries common border.
Heavy gunfire erupted on Tuesday evening between the Ugandan and South Sudanese armed forces after the former had crossed the border and attacked the latter’s position at Nandejo village in Kajo-Keji County, a senior official said.
According to Jackson Mule, Kajo-Keji County Commissioner, the fighting took place between 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. in the Andejio border area after Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) soldiers allegedly warned the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) troops to leave, claiming the territory belongs to Uganda.
Mule said SSPDF forces were initially pushed back but later received reinforcements and regained control of the area.
There were no reports of casualties from the skirmish which took place as Ugandan troops are in the South Sudanese capital Juba to provide protection to the government of President Salva Kiir following unrest in Upper Nile state.
Tuesday’s border clashes reportedly forced civilians to flee their homes, with many seeking shelter in Liwolo Payam, Sokare Boma, schools, and the payam headquarters.
The reports have not been independently verified, but the Ugandan authorities and the UPDF have not yet issued an official statement.
SSPDF spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang confirmed he had been informed of a skirmish on a border post but said an area commander was still assessing the situation due to poor mobile network coverage.
Mule said the fighting followed a warning from the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Uganda’s Yumbe District demanding the withdrawal of SSPDF troops from disputed areas, including Nandejo, Pure and Gorbeleng.
“For the past week, the RDC of Yumbe District in Uganda wrote to me a letter demanding that I withdraw my forces from Nandejo, Pure and Gorbeleng. He said that if I did not withdraw, he would attack them because he claimed these areas belong to Uganda,” Mule was quoted as saying.
“These places have belonged to us for generations. We grew up here. I responded that we cannot withdraw forces from our own land because, as far as I know, these places existed before I was born,” he added.
Mule said Ugandan forces, armed with heavy weapons, attacked an SSPDF base at around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, leading to fighting that lasted until evening.
“He moved his forces, which were well-equipped with heavy artillery, and at around 4 p.m on Tuesday., they attacked our base. The clashes continued until 6 p.m., when they burnt the base and our forces made a tactical withdrawal. After receiving reinforcements, the Ugandan forces were repulsed,” he said.
He said people have been displaced to different areas, but most of them have moved to Sokari Boma, where Liwolo Diocese is located. They are now sheltered around schools within the diocese and more people are still arriving because the tension remains high and they have no food,” Mule said.
He appealed for humanitarian assistance for those displaced and called on the governments of South Sudan and Uganda to resolve the border dispute through dialogue.
MG/as/APA