MP Dharuai Mabor on 13 Dec, 2019. Credit: Jale Richard/Eye Radio.

A member of parliament has called on the Ugandan government to protect South Sudanese refugees after two died in clashes with their hosts on Thursday. 

The fight started on Tuesday at Nyumanzi settlement, Adjumani district of northern Uganda.  Thirteen other people reportedly sustained serious injuries, and huts torched.

They allegedly fought using crude weapons such as machetes, sticks and stones.

The clashes reportedly resulted from an accusation that the refugees recently killed a local in the area, an accusation  they denied.

Hon. Dharuai Mabor who represents Western Lakes State in the Transitional National Legislative Assembly said the Ugandan authorities did little to contain the violence when it started on Tuesday.

He said he met the Ugandan ambassador to Juba  on Thursday over the matter.

“I have realized that  there are people behind the conflict which erupted in the refugee camps, but the Ugandan government has failed even to bring security to protect the refugees because how can refugees fight for almost five hours and there’s no rescue from the Ugandan government?” he asked.

“There’s supposed to be no refugee left without security and without any protection.”

Meanwhile, a refugee leader in the troubled settlement said they want to be transferred away from the area.

“They (hosts) said that we should be transferred out of their land and we accept it,” John Thon Gai a refugee leader told Eye Radio on Friday.

“With what has happened right now, they have to think about transferring us  away from here that is why we are saying if these people continue to behave like this, we need to be transferred out of this land.”

According to Gai, conflict between the refugees an the hosts started in 2018 when two people-a child and an elderly woman were found killed under unclear circumstances.

Mr. Thon said early this year, a refugee girl was also found dead in one of the neighboring villages.

Efforts made to reach the Ugandan authority for response were not successful. But local  media reports in Uganda indicate that Ugandan army-UPDF was deployed to disperse the rowdy locals.