A meeting of Central Equatoria State Security Committee chaired by Governor Emmanuel Adil Anthony. (Photo: CES/Facebook)

Central Equatoria government has called on the people of Kajo-Keji County to remain calm and leave the border dispute with neighboring Uganda in the hands of the national government.

A security meeting chaired by Governor Emmanuel Adil Anthony yesterday was dominated by land conflicts in Juba County and other parts of the state.

Juba County Commissioner Charles Wani, who spoke on behave of the state government, said both countries have formed committees to resolve the dispute that previously sparked communal clashes and abductions.

Addressing the media on Friday, Wani said the border dispute is now a national issue.

“The border issue of Kajo-Keji County with Uganda has become a national issue. We are just calling our people in Kajo-keji to remain calm because we are forwarding the issue to the government of the Republic of South Sudan,” he said.

“The committee is going to be formed between the government of Uganda and the government of South Sudan to look into that matter.”

South Sudan authorities in Kajo-Keji recently swapped 13 illegal Ugandan loggers with a local chief who was detained while visiting his brother in the Arua District.

In the past, there had been similar accusations of illegal border crossings and settlements between Kajo-Keji and Moyo and Yumbe Districts in search of resources.