South Sudan People’s Defense Force yesterday, Thursday buried the two soldiers killed during clashes with the Ugandan army, UPDF days ago.
During the clashes on Tuesday at Pogee, in Magwi County of Eastern Equatoria State, the UPDF killed two SSPDF soldiers and abducted another. But on Thursday, the Ugandan army handed over the bodies of the slain soldiers and the captive.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Friday, the SSPDF spokesperson Lul Ruai Koang said, “We have received the two bodies including our soldier who was captured with their guns in our border there. These bodies were buried yesterday in the evening in the same place.”
Ruai pointed out that the disputed border is to blame for the deadly confrontations. He says urgent measures should be taken to prevent further escalation of conflict in the area.
“Four other soldiers were killed in Kajokeji and some of our people died in a way we cannot understand. The best solution is that the border should be known by Uganda, they are the ones disputing this land,” he claimed.
The SSPDF spokesman also appealed to the Ugandan military to allow for the peaceful resolution of the border dispute, accusing UPDF of being offensive.
“First, the issue needs a political solution using colonial references. The military solution cannot help because soldiers don’t talk, they fight,” he said. “Our politicians in South Sudan and politicians in Uganda should sit and reach a political solution and the technocrats will show us the border.”
Major General Victor Odong, the SSPDF Division 7 Commander said the situation in Pogee is calm after that the burial.
“The situation is normal because these people when they carried out this attack, told our forces not to retaliate. We stopped them and now they are normal. Our mandate as the SSPDF is to protect our civilians, their properties, and our territory,” he reiterated.