Uganda seizes truck taking food for South Sudan rebels

Kampala. The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has impounded a truck loaded with food to be supplied to the South Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) rebels.The authority said the truck was using an illegal route known as Kampala in Koboko District at the border with South Sudan.

Oraba border customs is the main entry point to South Sudan through Yei and Kaya towns. Speaking to Daily Monitor at the weekend, the northern regional manager for Uganda Revenue Authority, Mr Godson Mwesigye, said: “It [the issue] was not smuggled goods but our problem with them is that they wanted to use an illegal route. So, we could not allow the truck to use un-gazetted route.”He confirmed that the food stuff was bought from Uganda and was being taken to the SPLA-IO.

“For us we have no problem because once the security clears it, we shall have no problem with them. It is a security matter,” he added. The 409th Brigade of Uganda People’s Defence Forces public relations officer, Lt Ibrahim Ssekito, said: “Our main interest is only to check if there are ammunition being smuggled in the truck. But for us we have no problem once the food is cleared because there is already an agreement signed between two warring factions in South Sudan that those people use our routes. So, we are waiting for the clearance from Kampala where initial clearance was originated.”

The deputy spokesperson of SPLA-IO, Col Paul Lam, said: “There is nothing like illegal routes because, there is no way you can bring food from Yei to our areas.”