Two people were shot and killed at the Imvepi refugee settlement in northern Uganda following a dispute over local elections, according to the Daily Monitor. The incident also saw offices belonging to the Office of the Prime Minister and police set on fire, with video footage of the torching circulated by ChimpReports.
The violence erupted on Wednesday, with reports from Uganda Radionetwork confirming two refugees were killed. New Vision reported that one person died and offices were set ablaze during the unrest, while a separate New Vision story noted that 37 people have been arrested in connection with the riots. The exact sequence of events and the identities of the deceased have not been fully detailed in the available reports.
The Imvepi settlement, which hosts refugees primarily from South Sudan, has been the scene of tensions over the election of refugee welfare committees. These committees serve as a link between the refugee population and aid agencies, making the electoral process a point of contention. The dispute appears to have escalated quickly from a disagreement to deadly violence, with buildings housing government and police functions targeted.
Authorities have moved to detain dozens of suspects as they investigate the incident. The arrests suggest an effort to restore order in the settlement, though the underlying grievances that sparked the violence remain unresolved. The destruction of administrative offices could disrupt services for the refugee community, which relies on these structures for daily coordination.
What to watch next is whether the arrests lead to formal charges and how aid organizations respond to the damage to their operational hubs in the settlement.
