Clashes erupted between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) on Tuesday in the border area of Nandejo village in Kajo-Keji County, Central Equatoria State, a local official said.
Kajo-Keji County Commissioner Jackson Mule said the fighting followed a warning from the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Uganda’s Yumbe District demanding the withdrawal of SSPDF troops from disputed areas, including Nandejo, Pure and Gorbeleng.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday, Commissioner Mule said the Ugandan official threatened military action if the South Sudanese forces did not leave the area, which Uganda claims is part of its territory.
“For the past week, the RDC of Yumbe District in Uganda wrote to me a letter demanding that I withdraw my forces from Nandejo, Pure and Gorbeleng. He said that if I did not withdraw, he would attack them because he claimed these areas belong to Uganda,” Mule said.
“These places have belonged to us for generations. We grew up here. I responded that we cannot withdraw forces from our own land because, as far as I know, these places existed before I was born,” he added.
Mule said Ugandan forces, armed with heavy weapons, attacked an SSPDF base at around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, leading to fighting that lasted until evening.
“He moved his forces, which were well-equipped with heavy artillery, and yesterday at around 4 p.m., they attacked our base. The clashes continued until 6 p.m., when they burnt the base and our forces made a tactical withdrawal. After receiving reinforcements, the Ugandan forces were repulsed,” he said.
The county commissioner said the fighting had displaced civilians, with many seeking shelter in schools and churches in Liwolo Payam due to heightened tensions.
“People have been displaced to different areas, but most of them have moved to Sokari Boma, where Liwolo Diocese is located. They are now sheltering around schools within the diocese and more people are still arriving because the tension remains high and they have no food,” Mule said.
He appealed for humanitarian assistance for those displaced and called on the governments of South Sudan and Uganda to resolve the border dispute through dialogue.
“Civilians around the areas of fighting should move away to avoid casualties. We want UN agencies and the Red Cross to quickly reach the displacement sites so that the number of displaced people can be established and they can receive assistance,” Mule said.
“I am appealing to both governments of South Sudan and Uganda to engage and resolve why Ugandan forces decided to encroach into our areas,” he added.
The reported clashes are the latest in a series of tensions along the South Sudan-Uganda border, particularly in Kajo-Keji County and parts of Eastern Equatoria State, where disputes over territory have previously led to displacement and deaths.
Attempts by Radio Tamazuj to reach local chiefs in the affected areas for comment were unsuccessful. The UPDF did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
This is not the first confrontation between the two armies along the border in Kajo-Keji.
In July 2025, fighting broke out in Kajo-Keji County after Ugandan forces accused South Sudanese troops of crossing into Uganda’s West Nile region and refusing to withdraw. South Sudanese officials, however, said Ugandan soldiers launched a surprise attack using tanks and artillery, killing five SSPDF soldiers on South Sudanese territory. Thousands of civilians were displaced following the clashes.
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