The SPLA and the Ugandan military will carry out a joint investigation into reports of recruitment of South Sudanese refugees in Uganda into armed groups, the acting spokesperson of the army has said.

Local media in Uganda reported last week that armed groups from South Sudan were recruiting fresh fighters from among refugees in different camps in northern Uganda.

They say that agents from the armed forces could move from camp to camp targeting mainly youths in new settlement zones.

A local council official in Moyo district in Uganda also told Eye Radio a week ago that some youths were asked to convince their peers to join the groups and were promised better lives and pay.

In response to the reports, the acting SPLA spokesperson, Santo Domic says the army and Uganda defense Forces are working together to investigate the matter.

Col. Domic was speaking to journalists at the Giyada military base in Juba this week.

“The UPDF intelligence plus the SPLA intelligence will get together and try to prove this whether these people are from the SPLA. There is a plan in progress to investigate the matter,” he said.

Col. Domic said the investigation does not relate to allegations of human rights violations documented in a report released this week by the rights group, Amnesty International.