State Governor Urges Leaders To Respect Colonial Borders The Eastern Equatoria State Governor Louis Lobong Lojore has urged leaders in the neighbouring East African nations to respect the territorial boundaries to avoid conflict in the region. 07 October 2013
*By Peter Lokale Nakimangole* *TORIT, 07 October 2013 [Gurtong] –* The governor says the ongoing tension over border issues can be settled amicably to avoid further escalation recommending that it is good to respect the previous borders drawn by the British colonialists for nations such as Uganda, South Sudan, and Kenya. He equally warns Uganda against encroaching into his state territory which according to him such individuals in those countries attempt to exploit the chance for their government to create for them more districts on the expense of South Sudanese communities living along the border area. Governor Lobong disclosed that the recent meeting held in Juba which included his four County Commissioners of Magwi, Kapoeta East, Ikwoto and Budi was successfully held and it aimed at settling growing thorny issues between South Sudan and Uganda. The meeting sought and came up with productive approaches to resolve and address existing disputes on land interferences recently experience in Eastern Equatoria state. Last Month, a peace and reconciliation meeting between South Sudan and Uganda border communities scheduled to take place in Magwi County failed to take place after key Ugandan officials failed to turn up. South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria State leaders arrived at the venue but surprisingly returned with frustrations as Uganda’s Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Ngomoromo Lamwoo, Molly Achan, failed to turn up at Pajok Payam, Magwi County. The annulled meeting was to resolve the currently mounting tensions between citizens of South Sudan’s Pogee Boma in Pajok payam of Magwi County and the inhabitants of Ngomoromo Lamwoo District in Northern Uganda. The State Local Government, Law Enforcement and Wildlife Conservation Minister, Charles Lokonoi Ambrose said his delegation was basically to hold the meeting between two border communities. The Minister however expressed optimism that they were in dialogue to resume the meeting soon to help generate and build cooperation for ultimate tranquillity among the people. Pajok area MP Hon. John Ochan, Bongomin who is also the current State Minister Agriculture was joined by the host Magwi County Commissioner Francis Oteka Okeny for the cancelled. The returned state leaders said they were and still are hopeful to meeting their counterpart Ugandan leader in order to improve collaboration in relation to healthier ties among communities. “It is difficult to proceed in order to resolve the rising conflicts being built between the two communities at the border, however, we remain determine. We in our side will strive to convince her to come on board to join us for the matter. We will jointly reschedule the meeting later this week. Our government is ready for diplomacy,” he said. The Magwi County Commissioner, Hon. Francis Okech Oteka, said that his previous meetings with his Ngomoromo Lamwoo counterpart, the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Hon. Molly Achan coated misunderstandings related to land for cultivation and cattle grazing issues along the border. Focusing on strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries the commissioner said their earlier meetings discussed mainly good neighbourliness that have been there since even through struggle of self determination of South Sudan. The minister reiterated his government aspiration to continue with health relations, commented that it is fine to jointly develop, and re-build old natural relations that has been existing saying team work spirit to ensure working together for cooperation and economic development and prosperity between the people of the two nations remain of paramount importance. Posted in: Home<http://www.gurtong.net/ECM/Editorial/tabid/124/ctl/CategoryView/mid/519/categoryId/1/Home.aspx>, Foreign Relations<http://www.gurtong.net/ECM/Editorial/tabid/124/ctl/CategoryView/mid/519/categoryId/5/Foreign-Relations.aspx>, Governance<http://www.gurtong.net/ECM/Editorial/tabid/124/ctl/CategoryView/mid/519/categoryId/6/Governance.aspx> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/SouthSudanKob/CAJb14oozXyAfsDC1Evq0AW5avv_KbPM2SbGM9K1%3DYJi3%2B9u9%3Dg%40mail.gmail.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
