Ugandan national killed in South Sudan violence
December 19, 2013 (KAMPALA) – The Ugandan government confirmed on Thursday that one of its citizens was killed in violence south Sudan.
The victim was identified as Agu Rashid, from Yumbe district, in north western Uganda, near the border with South Sudan.
“Unfortunately there has so far been confirmation of one Ugandan dead as a result of the crossfire – Agu Rashid from Yumbe district.
The ministry of foreign affairs said Rashid had died as a result of crossfire and it is now assisting the family to arrange for the body to be repatriated to Uganda.
Earlier this week, the South Sudanese government said it had thwarted an alleged coup attempt by former vice-president Riek Machar. Machar has denied he is behind the fighting, which has pitted rival factions within the South Sudan army (SPLA) against each other.
Meanwhile, the Nimule border, which had been closed to traffic on the South Sudan side, has now been reopened, the Ugandan government said, with traffic normalising.
“Buses that had been stopped from vying for business have now been allowed to move, including those to Uganda”, a government spokesperson said.
On Wednesday, 14 buses ferried some 1,689 passengers from the capital, Juba, to Uganda. Of these 1,183 were Ugandans, while the remainder were Kenyans and South Sudanese.
MUSEVENI TO MEDIATE?
The BBC reported on Thursday that Ugandan leader Yoweri Museveni had been contacted by the United Nations to mediate between South Sudan president Salva Kiir and opposing political forces.
Uganda’s minister for international affairs, Henry Okello Oryem, has meanwhile joined a team of foreign affairs ministers from across East Africa, who are currently in Juba to help a find a political solution to the crisis.
(ST)