Three soldiers of the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) died on Monday evening in a car crash in northern Uganda, in Yumbe District.
The soldiers from Kajo-Keji barracks in South Sudan were involved in a head-on collision at Gojuru village in Kuru Sub-county along Yumbe-Koboko road. The Police PRO for West Nile sub region, Ms Josephine Angucia, told Daily Monitor: “It has been a routine that the SPLA soldiers have been using our road to carry out their administrative matters. It is unfortunate that they were driving on the right and over speeding.”
The soldiers were travelling to Kaya barracks, which is situated at the border with Koboko, using the shorter route from Kajo-Keji town via Moyo-Yumbe-Koboko road. There were 11 soldiers in a land-cruiser being led by Maj. Akol Manjiel.
The Ugandan police identified the dead as Corporal Mabior Deng Kuch, Corporal Joseph Dhel Akuch and Private James Abraham Jacob. The soldiers had a head-on collision with a truck that was distributing beverages to their customers in Yumbe District.
The injured were first rushed to Yumbe hospital for treatment before being transported last night, back to Kajo-Keji in South Sudan. The three dead bodies have also been transported to Kajo-Keji. The Kajo-Keji-Juba-Kaya road is far and has of recent been faced with insecurity due to attacks from rebel groups operating along the route.
Because it also has bad roads with huge gullies, and which are narrow and bushy, the South Sudanese authorities recently requested the Uganda government for permission to use Ugandan roads when they want to carry out their activities.
In 2013, local leaders in Yumbe District and South Sudan also signed an agreement to have a bridge, Morta bridge, constructed on River Kaya in order to make it shorter and easier for both Ugandans and South Sudanese to travel across the two countries.
According to the agreement, Central Equatoria State and Yumbe District authorities agreed to share the cost. Each country was to contribute Shs800m each, but the construction has stalled due to inadequate funds received so far.
Source: Felix Warom Okello/ Daily Monitor
