KAJO-KEJI – Five South Sudan security officers were killed by heavily armed Ugandan soldiers who attacked their post at Bori Boma, Kangapo Payam in Kajo-Keji County on Monday, authorities say.
Kajo-Keji Commissioner Jackson Wani Mule said the servicemen were killed in what he calls a surprise attack by UPDF in an incursion into the South Sudan side of the border. He said an assessment found five bodies of personnel of the joint operation of the SSPDF.
Addressing mourners at Mundari Civil Hospital during the reception of the bodies, Hon. Wani Jackson Mule called for public calm, assuring that efforts at the local, state, and national levels are underway to resolve the matter diplomatically.
SSPDF Commander in Kajo-Keji, Brig. Gen. Henry Buri, confirmed that national security institutions were notified immediately after the attack, and calm has since been restored.
He reported that the UPDF forces were heavily armed with tanks and artilleries, targeting a detachment of 19 joint operation force stationed to protect the civilians who are always attacked by holdout groups.
On his part, Kajo-Keji Security Coordinator Mr. Godfrey Data Rembe urged residents to avoid acts of retaliation, emphasizing that the issue is under review by both the governments of South Sudan and Uganda.
Col. Nathaniel Mawa, County Police Inspector, identified the fallen soldiers involving two SSPDF Officers, two Prison officers and a Police Officer.
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.
This marks 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.