State Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs, Hudah Oleru Abason, has called on communities in Yumbe, Uganda, and Kajo Keji, South Sudan, to embrace peace, harmony and unity as leaders from the two countries move to end a decade-long border conflict.
Speaking during a joint border security meeting between Ugandan and South Sudanese delegations at Hotel Le Confidentiel in Arua, Minister Oleru urged the Kuku people of South Sudan and the Aringa of Yumbe to embrace togetherness, saying they are one people.
Minister Oleru, who handed over a gift to Uganda’s Ambassador General and Plenipotentiary to South Sudan, Brigadier Ronnie Balya, said the two communities should organise cultural galas, sports events and other social activities to bring them closer together.
She also reaffirmed the Ugandan government’s commitment to ensuring that the resolutions reached at the meeting are implemented to achieve lasting peace in the two areas.
The four-day meeting brought together more than 100 delegates from Uganda and South Sudan, who endorsed 20 key resolutions aimed at ending the long-running conflict between the Aringa and Kuku communities.
The conflict has resulted in the loss of many lives through killings and abductions, as well as animal raids, looting of property, displacement of communities and strained relations between the two countries.
Among the key resolutions adopted for implementation are the demarcation of the contested 612-kilometre border stretch between Yumbe and Kajo Keji; organising cultural and sports galas between the Kuku and Aringa communities to promote unity; releasing political detainees held by the armies of Uganda and South Sudan; conducting regular joint intelligence operations; and improving communication to ensure incidents are reported promptly.
Gertrude Obedi, Commissioner in charge of Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) in West Nile and co-chairperson of the meeting, said the resolutions would not remain on paper this time, noting that innocent communities continue to suffer the effects of armed personnel operating along the border.
Hajj Sulaiman Lubwama, the RDC of Yumbe District, called for a permanent solution to the border dispute, noting that the two communities had lived together peacefully in the past.
Brigadier Ronnie Balya, Uganda’s Ambassador General and Plenipotentiary to South Sudan, said the suffering of the Kajo Keji and Aringa communities was partly a result of colonial policies that created borders between people from the same communities, which he said should now be addressed.
Meanwhile, Aggrey Tisa Satuni, Chairman of the Kajo Keji Community Organisation, called for a “soft border” between Yumbe and Kajo Keji. He said criminals found causing disturbances should be punished in accordance with the law of the respective country where the crime is committed.
Tisa also stressed that Uganda and South Sudan need each other for economic and social prosperity as member states of the East African Community (EAC).
Emmanuel Anthony Wani Andee Adi, Governor of Central Equatoria State in South Sudan, called for the peace process between Uganda and South Sudan to be fast-tracked through the immediate implementation of the agreed resolutions.
He also urged religious, cultural and opinion leaders to return to their communities and sensitise residents along the border about the importance of peace and peaceful coexistence.
The Uganda-South Sudan border areas of Yumbe and Kajo Keji have experienced armed conflicts for years, with the disputes persisting despite several attempts by the two countries to find a lasting solution.