The Ugandan government has implemented measures to protect Sudanese refugees in Kiryandongo Camp, located in Bweyale town. These measures include a partial curfew and the deployment of the army, following knife attacks carried out by South Sudanese refugees on Thursday and Saturday, which left one Sudanese refugee dead and 24 others injured, some critically.
The Ugandan government held a meeting with leaders of the Sudanese refugee community and the Nuer community from South Sudan. The meeting was attended by the Governor of Bweyale District, as well as senior military, police, and security officials, along with representatives from the UNHCR and international organizations.
According to Hussein Teyman, head of the refugee community in Kiryandongo Camp, the meeting decided to impose a nightly curfew in the camp from 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM, and to deploy a significant number of army troops to prevent any further attacks on Sudanese refugees.
Uganda hosts over 81,000 Sudanese refugees, most of whom reside in Kiryandongo Camp under harsh humanitarian conditions, especially after the UN reduced its aid. Currently, the most vulnerable groups receive only 22% of their food rations.
Teyman stated that the meeting also agreed on the need to establish a comprehensive security plan for refugee protection, including setting up military and police checkpoints within the camp.
Ugandan authorities warned against the recurrence of clashes in the camp, placing responsibility on Nuer leaders and pledging to arrest the perpetrators if violence breaks out again.
He called for an immediate investigation into the attacks on Sudanese residential areas within the camp and the prosecution of those responsible.
On Friday, the Sudanese Embassy in Kampala urged Ugandan authorities to take effective measures to protect the refugees, noting that it is holding meetings with government officials to address the root causes of the violence.
On June 30, the World Food Programme reported that many Sudanese refugees in Uganda were living on fewer than 500 calories a day — less than a quarter of their daily nutritional needs.
