By Lodu William Odiya
At least five members of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) have been killed after the Ugandan Army launched heinous attacks in Kajo-Keji County.
Wani Jackson Mule, Kajo-Keji County commissioner, confirmed in a press statement that the country has lost five servicemen in the territorial defense against the Ugandan People’s Defense Forces (UPDF).
This week the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) attacked the SSPDF local detachment of a joint operation in Bori Boma in Kajo-Keji County of Central Equatoria State.
Due to tension in the area, the county authorities as well as the SSPDF headquarters could not officially reveal the number of people killed or injured from the gunfire exchange.
However, in a statement released on Wednesday, Kajo-Keji County commissioner and security officers confirmed that five personnel from the joint operation of the South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF) were killed.
Commissioner Wani Jackson Mule, while addressing mourners at Mundari Civil Hospital, called for public calm, assuring that efforts at the local, state, and national levels are underway to resolve the matter diplomatically.
Brig. Gen. Henry Buri, Kajo-Keji County Army Area Commander, confirmed that national security institutions were notified immediately after the attack, and calm has since been restored.
Buri reported that the UPDF forces were heavily armed with tanks and artillery, targeting a detachment of 19 joint operation forces stationed to protect the civilians who are always attacked by holdout groups.
Meanwhile, County Security Coordinator Mr. Godfrey Data Rembe urged the residents to remain united and avoid acts of retaliation, emphasizing that the issue was under review by both the governments of South Sudan and Uganda.
According to the statement, Col. Nathaniel Mawa, County Police Inspector, identified the fallen soldiers as involving two SSPDF officers, two prison officers, and a police officer.
The statement further emphasized that Rev. Dr. James Lule Kenyi of the Episcopal Diocese of Kajo-Keji, in collaboration with the First Baptist Church and the South Sudan Red Cross, led efforts to collect the remains.
He described the event as tragic and honored the fallen as patriotic citizens who gave their lives for the nation.
The statement underlined that an assessment team, led by the County Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) and humanitarian partners, has been dispatched to the affected area to determine the extent of damages and possible displacement.
The statement underscored the incident as the second attack by the UPDF forces in recent years.
A similar attack in June 2020 claimed three lives from the SSPDF and a police officer in the same area, bringing the total fatalities from these cross-border confrontations to nine.
In a separate statement released on Tuesday, the SSPDF Spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul
Ruai Koang revealed that the South Sudan and Uganda armies have agreed to form a committee to investigate the incident.
Ruai said that the SSPDF Chief of Defense Forces, Gen. Dau Aturjong Nyuol, had
contacted his Ugandan counterpart, and as a result the duo agreed on immediate cessation of
all forms of hostilities.
The statement also noted the formation of a joint investigation committee to ascertain the circumstances under which the armed confrontations erupted.