Two Sudanese refugees killed in Koboko clash
May 08, 2003
TWO Sudanese refugees were killed on Wednesday in the Northwestern town of Koboko following a clash between the locals and the refugees
TWO Sudanese refugees were killed on Wednesday in the Northwestern town of Koboko following a clash between the locals and the refugees, report Steven Candia and Patrick Alioni.
The clash was sparked off by the murder of a Ugandan in Southern Sudan.
The Northwestern Police chief, Geoffrey Erach, who confirmed the incident yesterday, said the situation had returned to normal.
He dismissed reports of the death toll rising.
“I have been on the ground, and the toll still stands at two,†he said.
“There have not been any arrests yet, but we are tracking those who spearheaded the clash,†Erach added.
The mid-morning clash, which started in Malinga Ward before spreading to the town council, left 17 houses belonging to ‘self settled’ predominantly Dinka refugees torched and a night curfew.
The Police moved in and fired heavily into the air, battling to contain the clash. It is believed to have started at 11:00am.
There were many UPDF soldiers and anti-riot Police in the area. They had been rushed from Arua, 34 miles away, to help diffuse the clash.
At the end of the incident, 17 Dinkas were injured, 10 seriously. They were admitted in Maracha, 17 miles from Koboko.
The clash left all shops in the town centre closed and thousands of Sudanese refugee school children confined in Teremunga Primary School.
The incident triggered a mass exodus of refugees, who headed back to war-torn Southern Sudan. However, they were intercepted by the Police at Keri.
The clash was sparked off by the murder of a Ugandan in Southern Sudan.
The Northwestern Police chief, Geoffrey Erach, who confirmed the incident yesterday, said the situation had returned to normal.
He dismissed reports of the death toll rising.
“I have been on the ground, and the toll still stands at two,†he said.
“There have not been any arrests yet, but we are tracking those who spearheaded the clash,†Erach added.
The mid-morning clash, which started in Malinga Ward before spreading to the town council, left 17 houses belonging to ‘self settled’ predominantly Dinka refugees torched and a night curfew.
The Police moved in and fired heavily into the air, battling to contain the clash. It is believed to have started at 11:00am.
There were many UPDF soldiers and anti-riot Police in the area. They had been rushed from Arua, 34 miles away, to help diffuse the clash.
At the end of the incident, 17 Dinkas were injured, 10 seriously. They were admitted in Maracha, 17 miles from Koboko.
The clash left all shops in the town centre closed and thousands of Sudanese refugee school children confined in Teremunga Primary School.
The incident triggered a mass exodus of refugees, who headed back to war-torn Southern Sudan. However, they were intercepted by the Police at Keri.