Clashes between Ugandan, South Sudanese soldiers kill at least six people

A deadly shooting between the Ugandan and South Sudanese armies along the volatile shared border in Kajo-Keji county resulted in the deaths of at least six officers.

According to Uganda spokesperson Brig. Gen. Felix Kulayigye, soldiers from South Sudan had strayed into Uganda's territory and refused to leave, resulting in a confrontation with Uganda's security forces.

“The South Sudanese have established a detachment inside our border, and refused to leave,” he told Anadolu.

He said that one Ugandan army officer lost his life, adding that a peaceful resolution to the long-standing border dispute, will be achieved peacefully to avoid further confrontation.

De-escalation

While both Uganda and South Sudan maintain strong diplomatic, economic and security ties, long-standing border disputes between the two countries have persisted for more than a decade since South Sudan gained independence in 2011.

South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF) spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang acknowledged the incident, adding that de-escalation measures had been agreed upon by military leaders from both nations.

Police in Kajo-Keji county, where the clashes took place, said "two SSPDF officers, two prison officers and a police officer" were killed, according to a statement from local authorities on Wednesday.

The statement adds that Ugandan forces "were heavily armed with tanks and artillery", and had targeted 19 "joint operation" forces.

Military support

Uganda has long provided military support to South Sudan including in March 2025, as tensions between President Salva Kiir and his First Vice President Riek Machar escalated, after Kiir’s government detained two ministers and several senior military officials allied with Machar.