Uganda, South Sudan to begin sensitization on border demarcation

Copyright : APA

Uganda and South Sudan are set to embark on the sensitization of residents in both countries ahead of the demarcation of their common border.

The sensitization exercise is expected to start on the 8th and end on 12th February before the border demarcation starts.

A statement issued here Monday says the sensitization meetings will be held in Uganda and Nimule, in South Sudan.

In December 2015, Uganda and South Sudan signed a memorandum of understanding to ease border tension and allow the demarcation of the disputed boundary between the two countries.

This followed a meeting in July 2011, where the African Union gave the two countries a deadline to resolve their boundary issues by 2017, which exercise will cover the approximately 470 kilometers long border.

Addressing journalists in northern Uganda on the proposed boundary demarcation exercise over the weekend, Uganda’s state minister for Foreign Affairs Henry Okello Oryem said the border demarcation exercise will ease tension between citizens of both countries. He said although they have not yet come up with the budget for the entire exercise; the African Union will meet the biggest part of the budget.

Benjamin Barbana Marial, the South Sudan Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister, said boundary demarcation will not be an easy task since they are engaged in solving a problem that even the colonialists could not handle.

Marial states that although they face numerous border challenges with DR Congo, Ethiopia and Kenya, it is a great step to start the process of resolving some of the problems.

Jerome Surur, the head of the South Sudan delegation at the boundary demarcation planning meeting, says they will install pillars to clearly indicate the border line to avoid future confrontations.