South Sudan borders unsafe, claims Uganda
Senior lawmakers in Uganda’s parliament have said the security along South Sudan borders with Uganda are not safe and called on the government to address the instability immediately.
The statement came after the Committees on Foreign Affairs and East African Community Affairs, which was entrusted with conducting an oversight visit reported to the House on Thursday.
In her report to parliament, Noeline Basemera Kisembo, Chairperson of the Committee on East African Community Affairs, said the relationship between Uganda and South Sudan was still unstable after MPs from the two committees were stopped by the South Sudanese security officers while on an assessment mission.
“The South Sudan soldiers had set up security check and detention points on the Ugandan side where a Ugandan was being held. The SSPDF even attempted to block members of the committees from accessing the area,” said Kisembo in her report to the parliament.
She told the lawmakers that border instability has continued unabated as Ugandans continue to lose their lives and property.
“The truck drivers indicated that the security situation along the Juba-Nimule route has not improved much despite the diplomatic engagements between the Government of Uganda and South Sudan,” Kisembo said.
“Local authorities of Amuru district informed the committee that South Sudan forces had interfered with and delayed the construction process of the Aswa hydropower plant on Aswa River near Lamwo, which is clearly on the Uganda side of the border claiming that the river falls in the territory of South Sudan,” she said.
The committees suggested that the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and East African Community Affairs step up their bilateral and regional interactions with the Government of South Sudan to protect the safety and security of Ugandans working in the country.
“The diplomatic engagements should be continuous until the safety and security of the Ugandans are guaranteed,” Kisembo added.
In their report, the committees demand the Joint Border Demarcation Process with South Sudan to be completed as soon as possible to maintain Uganda’s territorial integrity and alleviate security threats presented by incursions by South Sudanese military forces into Ugandan territory.
“The border demarcation exercise should be conducted jointly by the two countries and should be informed by the existing treaties, orders, colonial maps and coordinates to lessen the possibility of conflicts in the process of validating boundary points,” the report states.
Gen Henry Masiko, a UPDF delegate, stated that the East African Legislative Assembly should be engaged to emphasize the importance of integration not just in business but also in security.
“We should lobby members of the East African legislature to start talking passionately about the misfortunes of the East Africa integration. I am appealing that let us increase our voice on what our medicine will be,” said Masiko.
However, the team said South Sudan remains a major business partner for Uganda.
“Uganda’s exports to South Sudan grew to US$28.7 million in December 2020 from US$25.9 million in November 2020.”
When contacted for comments, SSPDF spokesman Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai said he was yet to see the report presented by the
