800 South Sudan refugees flee to Uganda over fresh clashes

Amuru. At least 896 South Sudanese nationals have fled Juba capital to Uganda since Thursday following renewed clashes between President Salva Kiir’s soldiers and those of his vice Riek Machar.

The fighting started Thursday but later grew tense on Friday leaving more than 150 people dead. There were also reports of heavy gun fire Sunday morning although it subsided. The Spokesperson of the opposition Vice President Riek Machar James Gadget on Sunday told Daily Monitor that their base in Jebel was attacked by government forces at around 8am.

The refugees mostly women and children are being received at the Elegu Refugees Collection centre in Elegu trading centre Amuru District near the Uganda-South Sudan border. According to officials at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), the influx of refugees has significantly reduced despite the ongoing insecurity in the country’s capital Juba.

Mr Titus Jogo, the Refugees Desk officer at OPM office in Adjumani District told Daily Monitor in an interview Sunday that numbers of the refugees crossing are abnormally low and suspected there could be challenges with the transport system given the tense situation.

Mr Jogo noted that on average before the situation went out of hand in the youngest East African country, they would receive between 200 to 250 refugees each day crossing from south Sudan into Uganda.

“We believe that because of the ongoing tension in Juba, people are not finding ease of movement, we know many want to come to Uganda but are incapacitated,” Mr Jogo said.

He added that thousands of refugees are going to flood the Elegu collection centre once the borders are opened. (NMG)