The Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) has redeployed troops to key locations along the Yumbe–South Sudan border following a series of violent incursions by suspected South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) rebels.
Last week, more than 15 grass-thatched houses were torched in Komorofe village, Munducaku parish in Yumbe district. The attackers destroyed property and forced dozens of residents to flee. This followed a recent incident where about 20 armed South Sudanese soldiers illegally crossed into Uganda, establishing a detachment in Fitina Mbaya village, over a kilometre inside Ugandan territory.
According to security sources, the rebels planted their flag, looted crops from gardens, and forced locals to abandon their homes. A gunfight broke out when UPDF troops engaged the group, resulting in the death of one Ugandan soldier and three SSPDF rebels.
Lt. Nasser Mene, UPDF spokesperson for the West Nile region, said the attackers exploited porous, unguarded border areas to stage their raids. He confirmed that the UPDF has now intensified both day and night patrols to deter further incursions. The rebel fighters are believed to be based across the border in Kajokeji, South Sudan.
Efforts to de-escalate the situation have so far failed. On July 28, an attempt by the UPDF to initiate dialogue with SSPDF troops was met with gunfire, leaving one soldier dead and two others injured. In retaliation, UPDF forces killed three rebels and captured some of their equipment before the group retreated into South Sudan.
Emergency relief support is currently being provided to families displaced by the violence.
Long-standing tensions persist along the unmarked stretches of the Uganda–South Sudan border, particularly in the Koboko, Yumbe, and Moyo districts. The recent incidents mirror a 2020 raid in which four South Sudanese soldiers were killed after attacking Goboro village and stealing livestock.
