South Sudan: Four gov’t soldiers killed during clashes with UPDF

June 1, 2020 (SSNN) – Four South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) soldiers were on Sunday shot dead by Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) soldiers following a clash at Maru village, Kochi Sub-county in Yumbe District.

According to the area LC1 Chairman, Mr Yusuf Taban, the South Sudan soldiers started disturbing the residents of the area on May 20 in an attempt to loot their household items and animals.

He claims the South Sudan soldiers attacked his village where they took a power saw and 10 litres of oil from one of the residents and returned the following day asking the village residents to vacate the area saying it belongs to South Sudan.

“Following the public outcry, the UPDF soldiers at Goboro detach went for patrol at Fitinambaya trading centre in Maru village on May 30 and that resulted into the clash,” Mr Taban said.

He said the South Sudan soldiers established a detach near Fitinambaya trading centre on South Sudan side posing a threat to the residents on Ugandan side.

Mr Richard Andama, the Yumbe Resident District Commissioner (RDC) said the armed SSPDF soldiers who were dressed in civilian clothes, entered deep on the Ugandan side with the aim of looting people’s property.

“When UPDF heard of the incident, they intervened but unfortunately the SSPDF soldiers after seeing them, they started firing bullets at the UPDF. In a retaliation, the UPDF also started firing bullets at them, killing four of them” he said.

The UPDF recovered five guns (one machine gun and four AK47 riffles), according to the RDC. He said the dead bodies were handed over to the authorities in South Sudan at Afoji border.

Daniel Kavuma, the UPDF Spokesperson for West Nile, said the locals from Uganda were faced with a lot of harassment from some groups of armed people from South Sudan especially in the areas of Goboro (Fitinambaya).

He said the gangs sometimes tell people to give them money, steal their phones and go back to South Sudan.

“In that process, three were killed on spot but the fourth one later died on the side of South Sudan. After the incident, we tried to cross check with our counterparts in South Sudan, then, we came to realise that the group belonged to South Sudan Defense People Forces (government soldiers),” Mr Kavuma said.

On Monday morning, while leading a team to pick the bodies, the Sector Commander for Kajo-Keji, Col John Kamilo, said there was an explanation about the matter to government authorities in South Sudan.

“We admit that it was a mistake on our side and we assure the people that the situation at the border is normal,” he said.