This archive report was first published on 14 December 2019.
On December 11, 2019, a violent confrontation broke out between South Sudan refugees and the host community in Dzaipi sub-county, West Nile district, Adjumani, Uganda.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the situation was closely monitored, while the Office of the Prime Minister indicated that security officials were on high alert, engaging with local leaders to prevent further escalation.
The EastAfrican understands that the clashes began after a mysterious death of a national the night before, which locals blamed on the refugees.
However, Josephine Angucia, the West Nile police spokesperson, stated that the deceased had died of heart failure, as confirmed by the post-mortem report.
Locals, armed with bows and arrows, launched a revenge attack on refugees in the area, resulting in chaos that injured six people, who were rushed to Adjumani hospital for treatment.
On Thursday morning, a rumor spread in the camp that one of the critically injured refugees had died in hospital, prompting refugees to take up weapons and attack the host community.
According to Adjumani Resident District Commissioner Taban Data Peter, one person from the host community was killed in the Thursday attack, and several houses were burnt and businesses looted on both sides.
Security forces were deployed to quell the chaos, firing live bullets into the crowd, which hit and injured three people.
“The situation is now calming down. I have met the cultural chiefs and argued them to calm down their communities so that they do not take the law in their hands,” Mr. Taban told The EastAfrican.
Over 680 people from the host community, mostly women and children, have been displaced from their homes due to the skirmishes and are currently seeking refuge in nearby schools and government buildings.
