Upper Nile’s east bank border with White Nile State is recently experiencing more stability, residents reported. A local arrangement along the international border is credited with increasing the movement of citizens and the flow of basic goods.
The chief administrator of Wanthou Locality (Joda South), Adok Lual, said that administrators and local government employees of Joda South, Joda North and even Jebelein localities on the border are now coordinating. “We developed a local mechanism to control the border between the two sides, in order to facilitate the movement between the border communities and help them,” Lual said.
He added there are Sudanese living on southern lands and South Sudanese living on Sudanese lands. He said these people have essential needs such as vegetables and other basic goods as well as family needs such as education for their children. Lual revealed that officials on both sides have shown interest to develop procedures to deal these circumstances. He explained that the locality commissioner of Jebelein contacted the authorities in his locality to facilitate simple procedures concerning the native population, out of respect for their historical ties to the region.
Relaxing of border controls is especially noteworthy for White Nile State because during earlier hostilities Sudan declared its border regions in a state of emergency and threatened to shoot-on-sight businessmen who attempted to smuggle goods to the South. The state shares a border with Upper Nile on both banks of the Nile. The west bank continues to be insecure especially around Megenis. Violence also broke out during August along Upper Nile’s border with Blue Nile State, on the eastern side of Renk County, with reports of fighting and an unconfirmed report of killings of farm workers.