South Sudanese Nationals Arrested for Illegal Entry to Uganda

Uganda police is holding 10 South Sudanese nationals for illegally entry amidst the countrywide lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

The suspects are locked up at Elegu police station in the Northern Uganda District on charges of illegal entry into Uganda.

Patrick Jimmy Okema, the Aswa River Region Police spokesperson, said the South Sudanese nationals entered Uganda over the past two days using porous borders.

“The suspects created new entry points after the old ones were sealed off by security,” he said.

He identified the suspects as Daniel Amis, Samuel Okot, Paul Aliko, David Ojok, and Robert Okot, all residents of Abila village Nimule and pagirinya and Kololi camps respectively.

They reportedly crossed to Uganda from South Sudan on April 15th, 2020. The others are Regina Abi, Cecilia Anyang, Maria Apere, Regina Adwaru and Garang Angweng.

He said the suspects crossed into Uganda with the help of fishermen who carried them on their backs across River Unyama purportedly to pick their food ration because they are refugees.

According to Okema, the suspects crossed to South Sudan before the Covid-19 lock-down and returned to Uganda to get food as they have nothing to feed in their country, South Sudan.

Uganda is homes to thousands of South Sudanese nationals who are spread in several refuge settlement camps in Northern Uganda and West Nile region.

Uganda closed all borders on March 30th, 2020 to contain the spread of the corona pandemic shortly after registering its index Covid-19.

In his televised addressed on the pandemic, President, Yoweri Museveni, who also banned both public and private transport means, said only cargo trucks delivering merchandise would be allowed to operate.

The Disaster Preparedness and Refugee Minister, Musa Ecweru also announced that Uganda wouldn’t allow in more refugees to protect its citizens from Covid-19.

On the other hand, Michael Lakony, the Amuru District Local Council V chairperson, said he has severally raised complaints on the porous borders compromising public health in his district.

He also called on government to operationalise the quarantine center in the district to ensure they isolated suspected Corona virus patients so as to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

Uganda has so far registered 56 confirmed Covid-19 cases. About 12 of these have since recovered and returned to their homes.

Contributed by Ahmed Wetaka, Kampala-Uganda