Police in West Nile is investigating the death of two suspected refugees, who passed on during riots at Imvepi Refugee Settlement in Terego District on Tuesday, as refugees protested the outcome of welfare council elections.
The West Nile Regional Police Spokesperson SSP Josephine Angucia, revealed that violence broke out around 4:00 p.m. at Imvepi Base Camp in Yinga village, Lugbari parish, Odupi sub-county.
“Nominations for RWC levels 3 and 1 ran from 10–14 August. Four candidates vied for the RWC 3 position, but only two were successfully nominated. Loro Charles James, who was not nominated, continued campaigning, prompting complaints to the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM)” she said.
Earlier On Monday 24 August, OPM and partners met the candidates and instructed Loro to stop campaigning.
The following day, around 2:30 p.m., South Sudanese refugees supporting him marched to Imvepi Police Station carrying placards demanding “No elections on 26th August 2026” unless their candidate was included on the ballot.
Angucia noted that, it was then that the group was directed to an open playground by the police for dialogue with authorities.
“The crowd then turned violent, stoning police officers and setting fire to the OPM administrative block and all property inside, the Imvepi Police office and barracks, and vandalising the UNHCR office block and OPM canteen”.
She added, “One police motorcycle and a generator were burnt, two vehicles were badly damaged, two police officers were injured, and seven suspects in custody escaped. Two suspected male refugees died in the scuffle”.
SSP Angucia noted that four other suspects were arrested who include, Aate Jackline, Ojosile Guido, Onziga Lawrence and Oru Santino, however the identities of the deceased hadn’t yet been disclosed by the time of this publication.
She noted that Police opened a case of arson and malicious damage to property at Terego Central Police Station (CRB 289/2026) and the bodies of the deceased were transferred to Arua Regional Referral Hospital for post-mortem, as investigations into the incident continue.
