The chairman of Moyo District in northern Uganda has denied expelling ethnic Kukus after thousands fled to neighboring Kajo-Keji County in South Sudan.

The number of displaced people fleeing into Kajo-Keji County reached more than 1,000 by Tuesday and rose to 2,000 on Wednesday, according to the Kajo-Keji County Commissioner Henry Kala.

Kala speaking to Radio Tamazuj yesterday alleged that the Moyo District Council passed a resolution to expel all Kukus and that the council chairman mobilized youths to burn their houses to drive them out.

Jimmy Vukoni, the chairman of the Moyo Local Council (LC5) denied this saying, “That resolution that all Kukus should leave is wrong,” adding that the council resolution only referred to “undocumented non-citizens.”

“What us as local government said is that we said the immigration officers who enforce the citizenship and immigration control act, which among the clauses states that any alien that does not mean Kuku, that does not necessarily mean Sudanese – all foreign citizens who are resident in Moyo, we advised the immigration office to take account of them because of terrorism issues.”

“Because this border here… we have seen people in our community moving with guns, and it is becoming a security threat to us,” added Vukoni, speaking to Radio Tamazuj yesterday. 

The local official admitted that rioting in Moyo and the burning of houses “created fear in people. So people started moving in both directions. The Kuku community packed their things and they were moving to Kajo-Keji, the Madi community in Kajo Keji also packed their things and they came back.”

Kajo-Keji Commissioner Henry Kala says that he met his counterpart from Moyo on Tuesday in the presence of a Ugandan army commander and the Resident District Commissioner, the Ugandan national government’s representative in Moyo.

“On my request, yesterday we met at Afoji in the presence of … the Brigade Commander of UPDF and the RDC, the LC5 and other dignitaries. We tried our best to come and reach a resolution that could harmonize the situation that is taking palace in Moyo,” he said.

“But still the LC5 is insisting that whatever has been passed – the resolution of the council of Moyo District – that it has made it and it cannot reverse it,” he said, referring to the alleged deadline for the Kuku community to leave Moyo district.

Kala stated also, “Though the regional [UPDF] brigade commander tried so that the LC5 can commit himself to talk to the youth he mobilized to burn houses of South Sudanese in Moyo to stop, but in my presence he did not [agree].” 

“He told us clearly that that is the resolution of the Council, he cannot revoke it.”

Vukoni himself confirmed that this meeting took place, without conclusive outcomes. “Really we have not had a lot of discussion – the discussions we had were preliminary discussions to calm the situation that was escalating in Moyo. The challenge has been … the two governments have ignored this for long.”

‘Kuku community are so afraid’

Sources told Radio Tamazuj that besides the ethnic Kukus who fled across the border into South Sudan, another group of Kuku community members assembled at the police station in Moyo town ahead of a planned evacuation back to South Sudan

Commissioner Henry Kala confirmed this saying on Wednesday, “That is true. Even last night my community in Moyo was calling me that their station is in danger, the Madis are hunting them from the houses, some of the people slept in the bushes, and they are assembling – they are coming.”

He disclosed that the business community in Kajo-Keji are organizing transport to evacuate the South Sudanese in Moyo back to the county.

LC5 Jimmy Vukoni acknowledged that fear had spread among the Kuku community in his district, saying, “The Kuku community are so afraid,” while reassuring that they were safe.

He said he was not able to confirm whether a group had taken shelter at the police station. “Right now I have not reached the police station; if they have assembled I have not confirmed that one.”

“But the decision for them to move, it is them who have taken that decision. For us we said the laws should be enforced that if there are non-citizens who don’t have proper documents [they should leave].”

Kala said: “My population is told that they need to leave their land. And they are leaving. They are leaving since the deadline is today. They are assured that by today this evening all of them should leave Moyo.”

Madi in Kajo-Keji

An unknown number of ethnic Madi citizens have also fled from Kajo-Keji County in South Sudan southward across the border into Uganda. Others have remained. 

Santo Oding, a Ugandan resident in Kajo-Keji, told Radio Tamazuj that some Kajo-Keji residents on Tuesday at around 2:00 p.m. tried to organize a protest but were “chased away” by county authorities.

“There is even nothing all that bad, we are okay – but we are also scared… if those people come back here… that’s why people are still worried,” he said.  

Within Moyo district there are also unconfirmed reports of various forms of violence carried out against members of the Madi community. Asked about rape cases that allegedly have been reported at hospitals, the Moyo District LC5 said, “So far the number that have reported are three.”

He accused South Sudanese authorities of establishing an outpost in Abaya which he said was 8 km inside Uganda, militarizing this situation.

“They have gone ahead and opened illegal entry points into Uganda,” he said.

Henry Kala denied this saying, “There are no SPLA at the border line. SPLA soldiers are at Mundari and Jale border posts. That is the only areas that the SPLA are in. But they are not sent to do anything… SPLA has never gone anywhere from where they are put in the barracks.”

As to allegations that Kajo-Keji natives looted areas in Abaya and raped three women, the commissioner responded, “To my knowledge as the chairman of the security of the county, we have never sent any soldier to Abaya. There is a small detached police that is guiding are people at Sunyu… It is the police that is there.”

Kala acknowledged that some Madis have also fled their homes, but insisted that not all ethnic Madis were fleeing from his county. “Those Madis who are running are Madis from Afoji,” he said, explaining they got scared when they saw South Sudanese crossing into Kajo-Keji County.

Both the Kajo-Keji commissioner and Moyo council chairman told Radio Tamazuj they welcome the visit of Central Equatoria Governor Clement Wani, who is expected to arrive in the area possibly as early as Friday and hold meetings on the situation on Saturday.

Photo: Moyo District in Uganda

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