**More Than Forty South Sudanese Refugees Arrested After Riots at Imvepi Settlement**
*Imvepi, Uganda – August 27, 2026* – Security forces in Uganda’s Terego District have detained at least 41 South Sudanese refugees in connection with riots that erupted on Tuesday, August 20, at the Imvepi Refugee Settlement. The unrest resulted in damage to offices belonging to the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the local police post.
The violence followed a dispute over the upcoming Refugee Welfare Council elections, scheduled for Wednesday, August 21. According to police, a group of refugees supporting Loro Charles James marched to the Imvepi Police Station carrying placards demanding that the elections be cancelled unless their preferred candidate was included on the ballot. The protest escalated when participants allegedly began stoning officers and vandalising the OPM administrative block.
Police reports indicate that several structures were damaged or set ablaze, including the OPM offices, the police post and barracks, a UNHCR office block, and the OPM canteen. Additional property reportedly destroyed includes a motorcycle, a generator, and two vehicles, one of which belonged to the Palm Corps and was parked at the OPM compound. Preliminary assessments suggest that the value of the destroyed property could run into billions of Ugandan shillings, though a final estimate has not yet been released.
Two refugees died during the confrontation. Police said live ammunition was used to disperse the rioters and to restrain two individuals who allegedly attempted to seize firearms from officers. The circumstances of the deaths remain under investigation, and the bodies have been returned to the victims’ families for burial.
Arrests began on Tuesday, August 20, when four suspects were taken into custody. On Wednesday morning, a joint security team deployed in the settlement apprehended an additional 37 individuals. West Nile Police spokesperson Josephine Angucia confirmed that the detainees were taken from various parts of the settlement and are being held at the Terego Central Police Station. She added that the suspects are being investigated for alleged arson, attempted murder, causing bodily injuries to police officers, and malicious property damage. Ongoing investigations aim to identify all participants in the violence, and the 37 individuals arrested on Wednesday will be processed alongside those detained earlier.
Following the unrest, development partners have evacuated staff and essential belongings to the nearby town of Arua, and security personnel continue to be deployed in the settlement as investigations proceed. Normal activities within Imvepi remain suspended.
The incident has revived concerns about tensions in Uganda’s refugee camps, where previous protests have been sparked by disputes over food assistance, verification processes, and other services. Ugandan authorities, however, have attributed the immediate trigger for Tuesday’s violence to the disagreement over the Refugee Welfare Council elections. The council is intended to provide refugees with a platform to raise concerns and engage settlement authorities on community issues.
Article and image source: allafrica.com
