South Sudanese Woman killed by stray bullet as SPLA-IO clashes spill near Koboko Border

[Archival Sense]

A 45-year-old South Sudanese woman living in Uganda has been killed by a stray bullet during clashes between rival factions of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO) near the Uganda–South Sudan border in Koboko District.

West Nile Regional Police spokesperson Josephine Angucia said the incident occurred on Thursday at about 10am in Mungujayi, South Sudan, near the Ugandan border. The bullet reportedly struck Roba Jerina on the Ugandan side of the border.

“In the process of the fight, a stray bullet shot and killed one lady on the Ugandan side, identified as Roba Jerina, aged 45 years, a South Sudanese living in Uganda,” Angucia said.

The clashes also prompted four suspected SPLA-IO combatants to cross into Uganda through the Kuluba border area in Koboko, where they were intercepted and arrested by Ugandan security personnel.

Koboko District Police Commander Michael Masereka said a Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) foot patrol arrested the four at about 1pm and took them to Koboko Central Police Station. Two of the suspects had sustained injuries during the clashes.

Ugandan security agencies have reportedly intensified patrols along the Kuluba–Kaya border to prevent the conflict in neighbouring South Sudan from spilling into the country.

Photo by The Observer