UPDF soldiers greet an SPLA soldier at a border area in Magwi County on May 21, 2018 | Credit | Ijoo Bosco/Eye Radio

Authorities in Torit State have stopped construction of a road at the border with Uganda over land dispute.

The Lango of South Sudan in Ikwoto County and Acholi of Uganda in Lamwo district are both claiming the land ownership.

According Torit State officials, the road construction at Monsignor is illegal because, they say, it is 10 kilometers into the territory of South Sudan.

But Lamwo District Commissioner Johnathan Omara Pajok says they are constructing the highway to help bring service closer to the sisterly community of the two countries.

“Our construction of the road are under the Plan Restoration of Livelihood in Northern Uganda is not in any way related to determining where the border is,” Pajok told Eye Radio in Ikwotos on Sunday.

“So…..our people from South Sudan, our people from Uganda will use this road as the issue of border delimitation is being worked out by our national government.”

However, the governor of Torit State, Tobiolo Alberio, rejects this move.

“Our brothers from Uganda enter here in the name of helping us, in the name of helping us for service delivery. We appreciate that,” Tobiolo said.

“What surprised us is, the RDC of Lamwo District announced that Monsignor belongs to Uganda.”

Recently, officials at the South Sudan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said they had established a working committee with Uganda to settle ongoing tension between border communities.