Cross Border Attack by Ugandan Forces Leaves Five South Sudanese Soldiers Dead

(KAJO-KEJI) – Authorities in Central Equatoria State have confirmed the deaths of five South Sudanese personnel in a cross border attack reportedly carried out by the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF). The incident took place on Monday, 28 July 2025, in Nyainga-Muda village, located in Bori Boma, Kangapo Two Payam of Kajo-Keji County.

The soldiers were part of a joint security team composed of members of the South Sudan People’s Defence Force (SSPDF), the National Prison Service and the Police. They had been stationed in the area to protect civilians frequently targeted by armed groups not aligned with the peace process.

On Tuesday, 29 July, Kajo-Keji County Commissioner and Chair of the County Security Committee, Hon. Wani Jackson Mule, officially received the bodies at Mundari Civil Hospital. During the ceremony, he urged the community to remain calm, assuring mourners that both the government of South Sudan and local authorities were working to resolve the situation through diplomatic means.

Brigadier General Henry Buri, the Army Area Commander in Kajo-Keji, said national security agencies were notified immediately following the attack. He stated that the UPDF used heavy weapons, including tanks and artillery, to carry out the strike, targeting a 19 member joint unit deployed for civilian protection duties.

The County Security Coordinator, Mr Godfrey Data Rembe, voiced similar calls for restraint, asking residents to stay united and not to retaliate. He said that both the governments of South Sudan and Uganda are currently reviewing the incident.

Colonel Nathaniel Mawa, County Police Inspector, identified the deceased as two officers from the SSPDF, two prison service officers and one police officer. He expressed deep condolences to the families of the fallen.

The retrieval and dignified handling of the bodies were led by Rev Dr James Lule Kenyi of the Episcopal Diocese of Kajo-Keji, in partnership with the First Baptist Church and the South Sudan Red Cross. Rev Dr Kenyi described the deaths as a tragic loss for the country, praising the fallen as citizens who died in the line of duty.

In response to the incident, an assessment team made up of officials from the County Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) and partner humanitarian organisations has been dispatched to Nyainga-Muda. Their mission is to evaluate damage, establish whether any displacement has occurred, and provide a preliminary humanitarian assessment.

This is not the first such incident in the region. In June 2020, a similar cross border confrontation reportedly involving UPDF forces claimed the lives of three SSPDF soldiers and one police officer in the same area. Combined with this latest incident, the number of fatalities from such clashes in Kajo-Keji County now stands at nine.

Officials from Uganda have yet to publicly release findings or official positions regarding the latest incident, although internal investigations are said to be ongoing.