Ahmed Salem

Governor Equatorial State Central Governor Emmanuel Adil Anthony is leading a high-level government delegation to Kajo-Keji County to hold talks with officials from Uganda’s West Nile region, as part of joint efforts to contain recent tensions and enhance security along the border strip between the two countries.

The visit aims to explore ways to enhance security coordination, including activating joint patrols and exchanging information, as well as discussing border issues and working to protect civilians and prevent the recurrence of tension incidents.

This move comes in the wake of clashes in the border region between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the Ugandan People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), which local authorities said resulted in the displacement of about 20,000 people from Kajo-Keji County.

Local officials in South Sudan accuse Ugandan forces of continuing to encroach on border territory, despite the bilateral relations between Juba and Kampala. So far, neither the South Sudanese government nor the military leadership has issued an official statement regarding the accusations or the recent developments on the border.

Central Equatoria is investigating Ugandan incursions into Kajo-Keji.

The Council of Ministers of Central Equatoria State in South Sudan discussed security developments on the border with Uganda, affirming the state government’s commitment to working jointly with the national government to address the repeated incursions of the Ugandan People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) into the territory of Kajo-Keji County, and to work to contain tensions and restore stability to the border areas.

This came during the council’s regular meeting, chaired by the state governor, Emmanuel Adil Anthony, where ministers reviewed the security developments in Kajo Keji following the recent clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and Ugandan forces, which raised concerns about escalating tensions on the shared border between the two countries.

Joint actions with the central government

The Cabinet affirmed that the state government is coordinating directly with the national government in Juba to make contact with the Ugandan authorities, with the aim of addressing the situation on the ground and preventing any new escalation that may affect the security of the population or the stability of the border areas.

The Council stressed the importance of adopting dialogue and security coordination between the two countries to address border incidents, calling for urgent and effective measures to ensure the return of calm and to maintain bilateral relations based on good neighborliness and joint cooperation.

Officials noted that stability in border areas is a priority for the government, given its direct impact on the movement of citizens, trade, and economic activities between South Sudan and Uganda.

Establishing an Institute for Cooperation and Rural Development

On the development side, the Cabinet approved a memorandum submitted by the Minister of Cooperation and Rural Development, Emmanuel Khamis, regarding the establishment of the Institute of Cooperation and Rural Development, with instructions to the relevant authorities to allocate a plot of land for the establishment of the project.

The institute aims to enhance the capabilities of cooperative societies and agricultural groups, provide training programs in management and rural development, conduct research and support innovation, contributing to the development of policies related to economic development and improving the level of agricultural production in the state.

The government also hopes that the institute will become a platform for training local personnel and supporting initiatives aimed at achieving economic recovery and creating new job opportunities, especially in rural areas.