South Sudanese and Ugandan security officers discuss an issue at the Nimule-Elegu border points in 2019 | Credit | Courtesy

South Sudan and Uganda have formed a committee to study and resolve issues of border encroachments.

Early last week, the Ugandan army killed two South Sudanese soldiers and captured another after allegedly attacking their defensive border post at Pogee in Magwi County, Eastern Equatoria State.

But the UPDF, instead said it was the SSPDF soldiers who erected a checkpoint inside the Ugandan territory.

The Ugandan army later announced it had apprehended two soldiers aligned to the SPLA-IO crossing illegally into Uganda.

In July, a similar incident occurred around Fitina Mbaya, also called Buya, a contested part of Kajo-Keji County in Central Equatoria state.

Four SSPDF soldiers and one National Police Service officer were shot and killed by the UPDF.

Earlier in June, three suspected South Sudanese armed poachers were shot dead by the UPDF soldiers in Kidepo National Park in Karamoja region.

The UPDF spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Deo Akiiki had told Eye Radio that the two countries would diplomatically and militarily address the persistent problem.

The spokesperson of South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Amb Hakim Edward, confirmed that efforts are underway to resolve the border contention.

“The leadership in the two ministries of foreign Affairs are in touch to amicably resolve any border limitation concern understood actually to be the cause of the incident,” Amb Edward stated.

In 2016, South Sudan and Uganda formed an 18-member Joint Border Committee to start the demarcation in order to resolve cross-border disputes.

Details of the committee and venue of the talks are yet to be made public.