Tensions along the disputed Uganda–South Sudan border escalated into a deadly confrontation this week, with troops from both sides exchanging fire in a remote area of Uganda’s West Nile region. The clash left at least four soldiers dead, renewing long-standing concerns over unsettled territorial lines between the two nations.
According to Major General Felix Kulayigye, spokesperson for the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF), the violence erupted on Monday after South Sudanese troops crossed into Ugandan territory, erected a camp, and refused to withdraw despite warnings.
“We had to apply force,” Kulayigye stated, confirming that three South Sudanese soldiers were killed when Ugandan forces responded to the fatal shooting of one of their own.
The South Sudanese side has contested the account. Wani Jackson Mule, a local official in Central Equatoria state, said he received the bodies of five South Sudanese soldiers and described the incident as a “surprise attack” by Ugandan troops within South Sudanese territory.
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Maj Gen Lul Ruai Koang, spokesperson for the South Sudanese military, announced that senior military officials from both countries have since agreed to a ceasefire to allow a formal investigation into the circumstances of the clash.
The incident is one of the rare exchanges of fire between the neighbouring militaries, despite intermittent tensions over poorly defined borderlines. The latest clash underscores the urgency of demarcation work, which remains incomplete despite the formation of a bilateral border committee. That committee is not expected to finalise its work before 2027.
Uganda and South Sudan have otherwise maintained cooperative defence ties, with Ugandan special forces deployed in Juba and other locations to support President Salva Kiir against rebel forces aligned with Vice President Riek Machar.
Kulayigye emphasised that such incidents, while serious, are not reflective of broader relations between Kampala and Juba. However, the volatility of disputed border regions continues to pose a threat to regional peace.
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