S.Sudanese Army (SPLA) Given 2Weeks To Exit Uganda

Lamwo district security has given the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) soldiers a two-week ultimatum to remove their national flag off Ugandan land and return to their country.

More than 30 SPLA soldiers invaded Ngomoromo village in Lokung sub-county several weeks ago and established a barrier six kilometres into Ugandan territory. They hoisted their national flag in the contested area, saying it belongs to South Sudan.

Now James Nabinson Kidega, the Lamwo resident district commissioner and chairperson district security committee, says they held a security meeting and resolved that the "invaders" immediately leave or they be forced out.

"We had a security meeting where by we agreed as the security team of Lamwo and the team has come to a resolution that our neighbouring [soldiers] who have crossed into our borders must move back where their border is. We have given them two weeks." Kidega said.

He added that in the meantime Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) will be accompanying farmers to their harvest their crops. Kidega says they will stop at nothing to protect the Ugandan borders.

Residents have repeatedly accused the invaders of waylaying and molesting them before looting their food stuff. This is not the first time South Sudanese soldiers are invading Uganda. In August 2015, at least 200 armed South Sudanese militias from Magwi county encroached nine kilometres into Ugandan territory still in Lokung sub-county in Lamwo district.

They claimed the disputed border area belongs to them but were flushed out by UPDF. In December the same year, more than 300 armed SPLA soldiers confronted Chongqing International Construction Corporation (CICO) workers and forced them to stop work on the 87.4km Acholibur-Musingo road stretch, saying the contractor had crossed into South Sudan by seven kilometres.

In December 2015, Uganda and South Sudan signed a memorandum of understanding to ease border tension and allow the demarcation of the disputed approximately 470 kilometres long boundary. The Afrikan Union gave both countries a deadline to resolve their boundary issues by 2017 but little progress has been made.

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