The government of Uganda and South Sudan have embarked on sensitizing locals along the 2,115km stretch of land the two countries share.
Speaking at the launch of the exercise in Gulu town at the weekend, Minister of foreign affairs, Okello Oryem stressed that re -demarcation will be done mainly in the ‘hot spots’ were cases of border conflicts have been registered.
“We are doing this for the benefit of the future generation so that the communities in both countries are able to live without any friction”, Minister Oryem said at a press conference at Acholi Inn in Gulu town.
His South Sudan counterpart, Dr. Marial Benjamin Barnaba, the minister of Foreign affairs and International Cooperation, said re -demarcation will be done based on the colonial map.
“We shall be consulting old maps and data that were used by our colonial masters in the 1920s to conduct the exercise and when this ends, we promise the locals in the both countries that no one will be displaced and the any one will be free to move to any country,” Dr Barnaba said.
The ministers said a sensitization exercise involving a committee of 36 members, half from South Sudan and another half from Uganda. Among the demarcation committee members will also be an unspecified number of surveyors.
The committee is expected to spend ten days beginning today to meet communities in hot spots along the border.
Background
In 2014, Uganda and South Sudan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to de-escalate border tensions and allow border demarcation of disputed boundaries claimed by both countries
The signing of the MoU came two years after the African Union (AU) under African Union Border Program (AUBP) met in Durban, South Africa and resolved to re -demarcate boundaries to promote regional cooperation. The demarcation exercise delayed but is now expected to be completed in 2017.
Minister Oryem said a big part of the budget to fund the exercise will come from the African union with a ‘‘minor’’ part will come from Uganda and South Sudan.
Mr Oryem appealed to the South Sudanese government to include Musingo in Lamwo district as one of the ‘hot spots’ that need to be re demarcated because it faces regular incursions by militias from South Sudan claiming it’s part of South Sudan territory.
In December last year, armed South Sudanese confronted workers of a Chinese construction company in Madi-Opei Sub County. The company is working on the 86.4 kilometer Acholi bur- Musingo road.
Earlier on in August, more than 400 locals fled their homes in Ngomoromo, Apuku, Limu and Yok villages, all in Pawo and Litwa Parishes in Lamwo district after being attacked by an armed men who entered nine kilometers inside Uganda and erected a boundary demarcation near River Limu in Lokung Sub County.
The militias destroyed several acres of crops belonging to the locals and looted livestock but they were later flushed out of the area by Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF). The UPDF recovered five motorcycles, two South Sudan national flags, ammunition and two water drums that belonged to the militias.
Other Border Disputes
Border disputes have also occurred in Lamwo District in Walegu-Owiny Ki Bul in Palabek, Awenolwiyo-Lubone in Lukung sub-county, Lawiye Odul and in Tseretenya in Madi Opei sub-county.
In September last year, there was tension in the West Nile border town of Moyo as residents protested against attacks by South Sudanese on villagers along the border stretch where a long-running border dispute persists.
The conflict arises from a border dispute at Wano Village in Lefori Sub-county in Moyo District, an area which is claimed by both Uganda and South Sudan. At least 50 South Sudanese attacked the area and looted household property, cattle and burnt several huts, forcing locals to flee their homes.
By Terence Alur
