Warom Felix Okello
Moyo
Sudanese Peoples Liberation Army soldiers, yesterday afternoon attacked Ugandan farmers in Lefori Sub-county, Moyo District, claiming the land belongs to Sudan.
Seven heavily-armed SPLA soldiers ordered the farmers in Gwere Parish in Lefori to uproot their crops and leave the area which they said belonged to them, witnesses said. Lefori Sub-county Chief, Mr Saidi Sebi Makosa told Daily Monitor by phone: The soldiers fired bullets in the air that scared children keeping watch over the crops. The children, he said, ran and some got injured.
Mr Sebi, speaking after visiting the scene, reported that the contested land is about 10 kilometres inside the Ugandan territory. He accused the invading soldiers of destroying some of the crops and acting lawlessly.
In Kampala, Mr Ernest Onge, the Government of South Sudans principal liaison officer, said he was unaware of the reported raid.
Let us examine the information properly, he said, adding: If it is true, it should be taken as individual acts of SPLA soldiers and treated as an isolated incident. I know our government cannot order something like that.
Moyo District Woman MP Anne Auru, however, said yesterdays attack was one of the many her constituents have endured in the hands of cruel SPLA soldiers without commensurate response from Ugandan authorities. She said: Its an unfortunate incident because there have been previous disturbances by our Sudanese neighbours and the Uganda government is fully aware but failing to take action to clearly define the border.
Yesterdays attack, that has heightened tension at the frontier, comes a week after another group of SPLA soldiers reportedly arrested and caned some 20 Ugandan workers erecting a mobile telephone mast in Afoji border area, some 15 kilometres from Lefori.
Ugandan official were unable to explain last weeks thrashing.
Commenting on yesterdays incident, the acting Moyo District Police Commander, Mr Anthony Ojok, said security personnel in the area would address the issue with their counterparts in South Sudan through cross-border discussions. We condemn such attacks and we need to have dialogue so that we harmonise the relationships with Sudan, he said. All land wrangles involving the two countries should be solved through bilateral talks, he suggested.
Earlier, Sub-county chief Makosa advised the furious community, which was planning to demonstrate over the attack, not to retaliate by attacking thousands of Sudanese nationals who have lived as refugees in Lefori Sub-county and other parts of West Nile for more than two decades. He said this is the second attack in four months by Sudanese soldiers against farmers in his sub-county. In the first incident, two farmers were allegedly arrested and locked in a container inside Sudan for three hours before they were released and allowed to return home.
Ugandan Foreign Affairs ministry officials were unavailable for comment last evening. Some residents said local political and security
Moyo
Sudanese Peoples Liberation Army soldiers, yesterday afternoon attacked Ugandan farmers in Lefori Sub-county, Moyo District, claiming the land belongs to Sudan.
Seven heavily-armed SPLA soldiers ordered the farmers in Gwere Parish in Lefori to uproot their crops and leave the area which they said belonged to them, witnesses said. Lefori Sub-county Chief, Mr Saidi Sebi Makosa told Daily Monitor by phone: The soldiers fired bullets in the air that scared children keeping watch over the crops. The children, he said, ran and some got injured.
Mr Sebi, speaking after visiting the scene, reported that the contested land is about 10 kilometres inside the Ugandan territory. He accused the invading soldiers of destroying some of the crops and acting lawlessly.
In Kampala, Mr Ernest Onge, the Government of South Sudans principal liaison officer, said he was unaware of the reported raid.
Let us examine the information properly, he said, adding: If it is true, it should be taken as individual acts of SPLA soldiers and treated as an isolated incident. I know our government cannot order something like that.
Moyo District Woman MP Anne Auru, however, said yesterdays attack was one of the many her constituents have endured in the hands of cruel SPLA soldiers without commensurate response from Ugandan authorities. She said: Its an unfortunate incident because there have been previous disturbances by our Sudanese neighbours and the Uganda government is fully aware but failing to take action to clearly define the border.
Yesterdays attack, that has heightened tension at the frontier, comes a week after another group of SPLA soldiers reportedly arrested and caned some 20 Ugandan workers erecting a mobile telephone mast in Afoji border area, some 15 kilometres from Lefori.
Ugandan official were unable to explain last weeks thrashing.
Commenting on yesterdays incident, the acting Moyo District Police Commander, Mr Anthony Ojok, said security personnel in the area would address the issue with their counterparts in South Sudan through cross-border discussions. We condemn such attacks and we need to have dialogue so that we harmonise the relationships with Sudan, he said. All land wrangles involving the two countries should be solved through bilateral talks, he suggested.
Earlier, Sub-county chief Makosa advised the furious community, which was planning to demonstrate over the attack, not to retaliate by attacking thousands of Sudanese nationals who have lived as refugees in Lefori Sub-county and other parts of West Nile for more than two decades. He said this is the second attack in four months by Sudanese soldiers against farmers in his sub-county. In the first incident, two farmers were allegedly arrested and locked in a container inside Sudan for three hours before they were released and allowed to return home.
Ugandan Foreign Affairs ministry officials were unavailable for comment last evening. Some residents said local political and security
