Ugandan army killed 16 tribesmen from South Sudan – minister
August 1, 2008 (JUBA) — Southern Sudan today accused the Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF) of killing 16 Sudanese nomadic men on the border area last month.
Barnaba Marial Benjamin, The minister of South Sudan government for regional cooperation, said on Friday that Ugandan army engaged Toposa tribesmen on the border between Uganda and Sudan six weeks ago, killing at least 16 people and wounding 18, regional cooperation minister said.
The Toposa also lost 2,400 cattle, 2,500 goats and 600 donkeys in the June 18 incident, he further said.
However, Southern Sudanese lawmakers Martin Lorika and Daniel Achila said in a report to parliament that they believed 23 people were killed, nine injured and 1,500 cows killed in the incident.
GoSS monister Marial said they would request that Uganda allow the tribesmen a certain period each year to graze during talks he said were likely to be held next week.
During the last week of July, the UPDF said it had killed eight Toposa men accusing them of weapons trafficking. They were part of a group of 30 people who crossed into the border district of Kaabong from southern Sudan.
Following a long drought period, some people from the pastoralist ethnic group have moved into north-eastern Uganda in search of pasture and water in 2006. The Toposa are now grazing an estimated 65,000 livestock in a 15 sq km area of Uganda’s Kidepo Valley National Park, and they are moving between Sudan and Uganda.
Similar fighting in March left another 38 people dead and 29 injured.
(ST)