Magwi County administration says that 160 families have been uprooted from their homes due to the fear of Ugandan forces at Pagei Area in Eastern Equatoria State. The Ugandan People's Defence Force (UPDF) allegedly entered the area during a recent land dispute between communities on both sides of the border.

Ben Kingston Loduk, Magwi Commissioner of Eastern Equatoria State told Radio Tamazuj on Friday that the displacement occurred earlier this month when Ugandan forces occupied Pagei area inside South Sudanese territory by force.

Loduk said the internally displaced persons are currently living in an uncomfortable situation with their relatives at the villages of Parajok and Pagei Centre. He pointed out most of the displaced who fled the area are women and children.

Loduk stated that the UPDF have closed the road network between the bordering communities and this has stopped traders from crossing the border

“We told the displaced persons to return home but they are still fearing due to presence of UPDF forces in the area because they are shooting randomly into the air,” the commissioner claimed.

For its part, Ugandan army representatives have said that armed South Sudanese men 'invaded' an area belonging to Uganda along the border earlier this month, destroyed several acres of crops and set up an illegal demarcation point. Military sources previously told Ugandan media that they dispatched forces to drive out the occupiers – a feat accomplished without bloodshed.

Meanwhile, a youth leader in the Magwi area, James Oyet accused UPDF of aiming to depopulate the area so that they can claim it for Uganda. He also said that hundreds of people have been displaced to village near Parajok.

Oyet told Radio Tamazuj, “I believe the Ugandan forces are aiming only to grab the land like what they did to Ngomoromo area.”

At the governmental level, the South Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Barnaba Marial recently said after returning from a summit abroad that a joint technical team has been formed to collect colonial maps that will help resolved some border issues. He disclosed that South Sudanese delegates will leave to Kampala next week to discuss the border issue.