More refugees enter Uganda as fighting rages in South Sudan

Refugees fleeing continued fighting in South Sudan are at risk of catching diseases due to congestion and poor hygiene at Ngomoromo Camp in Lamwo District, where 3,000 refugees are camped waiting to be moved and resettled.
Renewed fighting in Central and Western Equatorial states is threatening the peaceful efforts to end violence that has displaced millions of people.

A new rebel group formed by former SPLA deputy chief of general staff for logistics, Lt Gen Thomas Cirillo Swaka, who recently resigned from the army and formed the National Salvation Front, said many people have been killed in Wau.

“At least 16 civilians were executed in cold blood, dozens injured and thousands-mainly women and children have sought refuge in a Catholic Church there. A few others, who found their way past government roadblocks, managed to get to the UN protection camp in Wau,” reads in part a statement by the National Salvation Front calling on the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and African Union to intervene and stop violence.

“...The cycle of violence against the people of South Sudan can only stop when Kiir [President of South Sudan] and his officials are held responsible for their actions,” Mr Benjamin Warille Warille, the spokesperson of National Salvation Front, said.
However, Juba government has dismissed allegations of human rights violations against civilians by its army. The government spokesperson, Ateny Wek Ateny said Lt Gen Swaka’s allegations are false and should be dismissed.

The LC3 chairperson of Lokung Sub-county, Mr Joachim Ocan, in an interview with Daily Monitor on Tuesday said they are overwhelmed by the increasing number of refugees. “We cannot rule out outbreak of diseases related to poor hygiene,” he said.
Lamwo District local government offered land to government to build refugee settlement camps in Palabek Gem, Palabek Kal and Palabek Ogili. The camps are expected to host at least 7,000 refugees.

At least 1,000 refugees were last week relocated from Ngomoromo to Palorinya Settlement Camp in Moyo District in a bid to decongest Ngomoromo border, Mr Titus Jogo, a desk officer in the Office of the Prime Minister said.