Pajok community demand urgent solutions to UPDF border incursion

By Theophilous Ochang

Pajok community in Magwi County, Eastern Equatoria State, is calling on the government to take swift action to address the continued border threats and provocation by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).

This came days after soldiers from the UPDF surrounded the residents in Pogee Payam in the Otwilo area bordering the northern Uganda’s district of Lamwo on August 19, 2025.

The soldiers arrested two residents from their homes, forced them to hand over their phones and demolished their houses.

According to the community, the two youths were later released, but their belonging were all looted by the UPDF.

The UPDF has been preventing South Sudanese returnees from resettling in their ancestral land. Last year, the Ugandan forces burnt down houses and slashed down farms of the South Sudanese nationals.  

In a statement to the media on Friday, Ojok Francis Laboke, the Pajok community chairperson, expressed discontent over what he described as the malicious act by the UPDF.

“On behalf of the Pajok community and on my own behalf, I would like to express our discontent with the malicious acts of the Ugandan People’s Defense Force (UDPF),” he said.

The Pajok community, who are peaceful and predominantly rely on agriculture, have been experiencing consistent threats from the UPDF and the continuous patrol in the areas of Patoko, Parapadwanya and Abuloro, hosting the South Sudanese returnees who voluntarily return from the camp.

Labonke appealed to the state and the national governments to take urgent action to address the continuous threats and provocation by the UPDF.

“There is also a need for South Sudan to the dialogue with Uganda to desist from aggression and provocation to enable citizens to live free.”

He said despite the community efforts to invest in road rehabilitation to ease movement, boost trade, enhance access to service and security, these acts of provocation would create insecurity along the border that disrupts trade and movement.

“The UPDF action may spoil already good relationships between border communities, who share a common origin and have been peacefully coexisting,” Lobonke said.

However, efforts to reach the Magwi County commissioner, Pole Pole Benjamin, to comment on the matter was unsuccessful.

On October 29, 2020, the UPDF invaded Pogee, killing two people and capturing one SSPDF soldier.