UGANDA HANDS OVER FIVE SOUTH SUDANESE NATIONALS TO SOUTH SUDAN AUTHORITIES

The two suspects being handed over the South Sudan Authorities by the Moyo RDC.

By Anyidi Emmanuel

Moyo

The Government of Uganda has handed over five South Sudanese nationals to the Government of South Sudan after they were arrested in Koboko District for allegedly illegally crossing into Uganda with firearms.

The suspects were apprehended during a security operation along the Uganda–South Sudan border and were reportedly found in possession of two machine guns (MGs) and five AK-47 rifles.

The handover was described as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen cross-border security cooperation between the two neighboring countries.

During the handover, two freed South Sudanese nationals and three South Sudanese refugees were officially handed over to representatives of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the Government of South Sudan, led by Colonel Michael Oyet on behalf of the Commissioner of Kajo Keji County.

Speaking at the event, Ochailap Geoffrey Filbert, the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Moyo, called on communities living along the border to promote peace and stability.

“Let us co-exist, and if we do this, it will be very important for us. The issue of the border should be left to the two Presidents to handle, but let us allow our people to stay together,” he said.

The Brigade Commander of the 503 Brigade, representing 4th Division in Gulu, advocated for joint patrols and intelligence-sharing along the border to curb illegal activities affecting both communities.

“If we can jointly form a committee or team, and establish detachments along the borderline on both the South Sudan and Uganda sides, we can carry out joint patrols to control the influx of guns,” he said.

Superintendent of Police Julius Mwesigye, the Regional Police Commander for the North West Nile sub-region, urged the Government of South Sudan to continue counselling and guiding its citizens to avoid repeating such offenses.

Meanwhile, Colonel Michael Oyet, who represented the South Sudan government delegation, commended the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) for maintaining peace and security along the shared border.

“This kind of handover clearly portrays the togetherness between the SSPDF and UPDF, showing that both forces are ready to protect the two countries from wrongdoers,” he said.