Fate of Ugandans stuck in Jonglei still unknown
Residents of Juba at the UN compound on Friday where they sought shelter. Ugandans living in Jonglei remain stranded there as government says it is difficult to evacuate them. Photo by AFP
What you need to know:
Hanging in balance. Officials from Foreign Affairs ministry say it is difficult to identify the exact number of Ugandans stuck in the besieged state.
Kampala- The fate of Ugandans stuck in the South Sudan state of Jonglei hangs in balance after the Uganda government said “logistical challenges” have hampered efforts to rescue them from fighting between the SPLM government soldiers and the mutinying forces.
The admission comes after South Sudan’s army – the SPLA - admitted that it had lost control over Bor County, Jonglei’s capital, after soldiers loyal to renegade Gen Peter Gadet Yak overran military bases in fierce fightings this week.
Although the government started airlifting Ugandans from the South Sudan capital of Juba on Friday, other citizens remained stuck in other areas as fighting escalated.
Addressing a press conference in Kampala on Friday afternoon, Mr Fred Opolot, the Foreign Affairs ministry spokesperson, stated that the government did not know the number of Ugandans caught up in the besieged Jonglei state.
“Jonglei is about 150km from Juba, so you can understand the complexity of coordinating the logistics of identifying our people there,” Mr Opolot said. “
But the government is liaising with our counterparts in South Sudan to ensure we establish the numbers and ensure their safety,” Mr Opolot added.
“We have spoken to our colleagues at the Ugandan Embassy and it is very difficult to ascertain how many Ugandans are there,” he added.
He, however, said the African Union (AU) mission in Juba was spearheading talks to resolve the fighting.
