A claim has been circulating online stating that over 500 UPDF soldiers' bodies arrived in Uganda from South Sudan, implying heavy losses to the SPLA-IO rebels. However, this claim is completely false, and the photo used to support it is being misused.
The image circulating with this claim shows UPDF soldiers standing in front of coffins. This photo was taken on 10 August 2005 at Entebbe Air Base during a memorial service for Ugandan soldiers who died in a helicopter crash involving Sudan’s former Vice President, John Garang, on 30 July 2005. This image has nothing to do with the current situation in South Sudan. It is a historic photo from a funeral that took place nearly 20 years ago, not a recent event related to UPDF casualties.
The photo was taken during a solemn service for the presidential helicopter crew, not for soldiers who recently died in South Sudan. The claim that 500 UPDF soldiers' bodies have arrived in Uganda from South Sudan is false. There are no credible reports or official statements from the Ugandan government or military supporting such a claim.
The photo being shared with this claim is an old image from 2005, unrelated to any recent UPDF events. The claim about 500 dead soldiers is a fabricated story, and the photo is being used misleadingly to stir unnecessary panic.