Aringa Kingdom has welcomed the release of a Ugandan man who was allegedly abducted and detained in South Sudan in 2025. Chiriga Ame, a resident of Midigo Sub County in Yumbe District, was reportedly abducted by armed men from South Sudan and held in solitary confinement at Mere Trading Centre, north of Kajo Keji. The kingdom described his freedom as a step towards rebuilding trust between communities along the Uganda-South Sudan border.
The release of Chiriga Ame followed commitments made during a bilateral border meeting between Uganda and South Sudan held in Arua District in July 2026. Aringa Kingdom Prime Minister Lemeriga Fadhil Kujo said in a press release dated October 2, 2026, that the release was a result of efforts made by the kingdom and the government of Uganda. Kujo expressed gratitude to the Kuku and the Government of South Sudan for honouring one of the terms of the July 23-25, 2026 bilateral border meeting and agreement.
A delegation comprising Resident District Commissioners from Yumbe and Moyo, UPDF representatives, Aringa Kingdom officials, religious leaders, and journalists visited South Sudan on September 4, 2026, to strengthen implementation of the agreement. The engagement was followed by a visit by Kuku elders and religious leaders to the Aringa Kingdom palace on September 17, 2026. Kujo said the visit was blessed by the Aringa Kingdom monarch, His Royal Highness Ingamule Adnan Doka Charaka III.
The Aringa Kingdom Prime Minister called for peaceful and mutually beneficial coexistence between the two communities and countries. Kujo said the release of Chiriga Ame and possibly the return of Mr Mawa Joseph to his home country South Sudan were significant because both men are breadwinners and heads of families. He also called for an end to cross-border raids, abductions, and the burning of civilian homes.
Incidents of cross-border raids, abductions, and burning of civilian homes have displaced communities along the border. Kujo cited incidents in Fitina Mbaya and Komorofe in early 2025, as well as Kerwa, Kei, and Midigo Sub Counties earlier this year. The kingdom also called for the withdrawal of South Sudanese armed forces from Ugandan territory, saying their presence had heightened insecurity along the border.
The July 25, 2026 clash between the two armies resulted in casualties, deaths, and destruction of property. Kujo called for the final demarcation of the Uganda-South Sudan border to be brought forward from September 2027 to January 2027. The kingdom also proposed increased deployment of the UPDF and South Sudan People’s Defence Forces along the border to strengthen security and territorial integrity.
The kingdom also proposed the opening of a murram road linking Yumbe and Juba to facilitate trade and transportation between the two countries. Kujo called for both countries to adhere to full implementation of the Hotel L’Confidentiel agreement of July 24, 2026, for peace and tranquility to prevail between the two communities and countries.
Key points
- The release of Chiriga Ame followed commitments made during a bilateral border meeting between Uganda and South Sudan.
- The kingdom called for the withdrawal of South Sudanese armed forces from Ugandan territory.
- The kingdom proposed increased deployment of the UPDF and South Sudan People’s Defence Forces along the border.
