Emeute frontalière en Ouganda – septembre 2009
Sudan border shut
3 septembre 2009
West Nile/Kampala
Angry residents yesterday forcefully closed a customs post on the border with Sudan in protest over Tuesday’s attack by troops from Southern Sudan.
The demonstrators, numbering in the hundreds, forced the closure of Afogi Customs Post, a key trade gateway to the Eastern Equatoria State of South Sudan as a dispute over ownership of land near the border escalated yesterday.
Agitated residents, some of whom trekked 15 kilometres from villages in Lefori Sub-county, scene of the incursion by the foreign troops, stormed Moyo town and had by 2p.m. shut all shops run by Sudanese nationals – the lead entrepreneurs here.
The usually thriving cross-border trade between Moyo and South Sudan’s Kajo Keji Township was paralysed as angry youth, buoyed by commercial motorcycle riders (Boda Boda), felled huge trees to block the international thoroughfare.
UPDF soldiers and anti-riot police were hurriedly deployed to restrain the angry mob from invading Moyo Hospital to evict patients of Sudanese origin in a day of unrest likely to cause diplomatic headache for both Kampala and Juba.
The uproar, touched off by alleged unchecked harassment of Moyo residents by Sudanese People’s Liberation Army soldiers over the last two years, could potentially jeopardise the lives of Ugandans living in parts of South Sudan.
Two other border crossing points at Nimule and Oraba remained open yesterday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary, Mr James Mugume yesterday called for restraint by parties to the misunderstanding on who owns the land in Gwere Parish, Lefori Sub-county.
“The most important thing is that we need to re-mark and verify our borders so that they do not become a flashpoint of conflict for communities living near the border,” he said. Cabinet recently endorsed a February 2009 African Union resolution requiring countries with border disputes to settle the matters through permanent border verification committees.
As a result, said Ambassador Mugume, Uganda has largely resolved its border problems with Tanzania and Rwanda while agreements have been signed to sort similar contests with the Kenyan and Congolese governments.
Uganda’s myriad border problems straddle from Mutukula in the south to Migingo on Lake Victoria and up on the eastern flank to Amudat in Moroto District.
In 2007, Ugandan and Congolese soldiers briefly fought over the ownership of Rukwanzi Island on Lake Albert following oil discoveries in that region, a skirmish that eventually triggered other border disputes at Goli and Vurra Custom posts in Nebbi and Arua Districts, respectively.
In the Tuesday incident, seven heavily-armed SPLA soldiers reportedly raided Lefori, shooting in the air to chase about 200 residents from farmlands the soldiers claimed are on Sudan soil.
Mr Ciec Mayor, the Government of South Sudan’s First Secretary to Uganda, said: “I cannot comment now because I need to consult with the district commissioner of Kajo Keji to confirm whether the soldiers attacked people in Moyo.”
Moyo District Chairman, Mr Peter Iku-Dollo, warned the demonstrators against attacking Sudanese refugees who have lived in the region for over 20 years.
“I also strongly advise Sudanese local authorities to stop this unnecessary provocation and regard Ugandans as real friends,” he said.
These incidents come less than two months before celebrations to mark the 2009 Obongi Day in Moyo District to which President Museveni and his counterpart Gen. Salva Kiir of the Government of South Sudan have been invited.
Obongi County MP Hassan Fungaroo said yesterday that the event is meant to bid farewell to thousands of Sudanese refugees returning home under the ongoing voluntary repatriation exercise and “remind them not to forget the hospitality Ugandans offered them as exiles.”
By press time, the UPDF 409 Brigade Commander, Lt. Col. Martin Ndyanabo was due to arrive in Moyo to coordinate deployments as the army moved to ring-fence the border enclave.
Moyo riots over border
Thursday, 3rd September, 2009
By Ezaruku Draku Franklin and Frank Mugabi
Moyo town was yesterday thrown into chaos as residents demonstrated against the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) attack on farmers in Lefori sub-county on the Uganda-Sudan border on Tuesday.
Hundreds of demonstrators braced the scorching sun to trek the murram road up to the district headquarters, where Moyo sub-county residents joined them. Local authorities said armed soldiers entered Lefori in the afternoon and harassed farmers in Gwere parish and uprooted crops.
They allegedly ordered the residents to vacate the area, which they said was part of Sudan. The raiders reportedly fired bullets in the air to scare anyone who resisted their orders.
Accusing the Government of “abandoning them amid foreign aggression”, huge crowds marched to the district headquarters where they presented a petition to LC5 chief Peter Iku Dolo, demanding immediate action.
Dolo urged the protesters to remain calm as a solution was being worked out. He said the matter would be resolved through diplomatic means at the central government level.
His advice was rejected by the angry residents who booed him down. Several residents blamed the district leaders for not being on the ground.
The crowd proceeded to Afoji border post where they cut down two huge trees which they used to block the road.
The border post is largely used by Sudanese entering and leaving Uganda through Moyo district.
The residents vowed to guard the place until the Sudanese forces stopped harassing them. Several shops owned by Sudanese nationals in Moyo town were locked up by the residents.
Security in the town has been beefed up. UPDF soldiers from the 409 Brigade took over control of the road leading to the border after dispersing the crowd. More soldiers were deployed as furious residents headed to the main hospital to evict Sudanese.
Army spokesperson Felix Kulayigye yesterday said the Prime Minister’s office was handling the matter, assuring that the incident was “not a security threat.”
Several local leaders condemned the SPLA raid. Moyo sub-county councillor Hilda Abiyo demanded immediate action by the Government.
She threatened to convince the council to pass a resolution expelling all Sudanese patients from Moyo Hospital and other health centres in the district.
She also threatened to move a motion prohibiting Sudanese candidates in different Ugandan schools from sitting UNEB examinations in the district.
For decades, the northern border districts have sheltered Sudanese refugees, many of whom have also attended school there.
The sub-county vice-chairperson of Lefori, Elio Beatrice, said such incidents greatly affected development programmes. She appealed to the Government to provide security to the farmers.
The tension in Moyo is threatening to spread to neighbouring Adjumani, where there is also a big Sudanese community.
Ugandan rioters attacks Sudanese after border dispute
Friday 4 September 2009
September 3, 2009 (KAMPALA) — A land dispute pushed Ugandan residents to target Sudanese national and refugees in the border district of Moyo leading to close the key border post between the two countries.
Soldiers from southern Sudan army, SLPA, reportedly shot in the air to chase Ugandan farmers in Gwere Parish in Lefori from their fields on Tuesday, saying they were on the Sudanese side of the border.
On Wednesday, protesters from Ugandan district Moyo attacked Sudanese national and southern Sudanese refugees in the area forcing closure of Afogi customs Post, a key trade gateway to the Southern Sudan.
Reacting to contain the riot, in a press conference held in Kampala today, Ugandan minister of information, Ms Kabakumba Matsiko, called for calm saying the border row can be resolved diplomatically. She also dismissed reports about the deployment of Ugandan army on the border area.
“I want to assure all Ugandans that Uganda enjoys good relations with Sudan and we shall continue pursuing our policy of good neighborliness. I would like to call upon everybody to remain calm. Any apparent border dispute will be resolved by the government diplomatically,” Ms Kabakumba said.
The Ugandan official also denied reports about the deployment of troops to quell the riots saying “The anti riot only intervened to restore order and calm down the situation.” The armed protesters threatened to cross into Southern Sudan.
Ms Kabakumba also brushed aside reports about the ban of food exportation to southern Sudan due to food gaps in Uganda.
“Where as it is true that there is a shortage of food in some parts of the country and probably the exportation of food could be one of the causes, government is aware of this and is trying to come up with a solution to the food problem in the country,”
Uganda exports corn, grains and coffee through the border post to Sudan. Imports to Southern Sudan from the Kenyan port of Mombasa also pass through Uganda. Sudan is the second leading importer of Ugandan coffee after the European Union.
anthropologie du présent 