Border dispute: Moyo pupils abandon classes for safety

Pupils of Afoji Primary School return home for safety amidst the violence in Moyo following border disputes between Ugandan and South Sudanese nationals. PHOTO BY SCOVIN ICETA.

What you need to know:

The pupils have decided to stay away from school for fear of possible attacks by the warring parties.

Moyo- School activities have been paralysed, especially the primary section, following clashes between Madi communities and South Sudanese nationals over Wano farmland.

At Moyo Boys Primary School, only Primary Seven candidates, who are sitting for the second pre-Primary Leaving Examinations, are still at the school.

School activities affected
The head teacher Moyo Boys Primary School, Mr Remijo Drameri, said: “The conflict has affected our operations yet we wanted parents to send their children to school since this is promotional term. But now it is difficult and teachers are sitting idle in the staff room because the children have abandoned studies.”

The regional police commander North West Nile region, Mr Dan Byaruhanga, said there is no reason to keep the children at home because the situation is under control.

The UPDF operation commander in South Sudan, Brig Kayanja Muhanga, said security operatives would be deployed in the disputed area to avert any clashes between Ugandans and South Sudanese.

Speaking to journalists, Mr Andrew Felix Kaweesi, the police director operations, said there is no more fighting in Moyo, though the situation is still tense.
So far, seven people have been killed with several houses burnt.

Background to the events

How it stared. Protests by Moyo residents, which started peacefully but later culminated in attacks on South Sudanese nationals and destruction of their property, followed the arrest and detention of local leaders and census officials by South Sudan policemen in Wano Village in Moyo Sub-county recently. The area is claimed by both countries. The officials said they were detained in South Sudan, where some of them said they were tortured before being released. Several South Sudanese have fled Moyo and returned to their country.