Ambassador Joseph Ayok Anei, Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, says that his government has signed an agreement to create one-stop border crossings between South Sudan and Uganda.

Speaking on Monday at a news conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ayok said the agreement was signed on 8 November in order to simplify and expedite border controls.

“We want to brief you about the agreement I have signed in Kampala, Uganda on behalf of the government of South Sudan on the issue of one-stop border post between our country and Republic of Uganda which took place last week,” he said.

“The areas of which we are going to cooperate are also to enhance the development in our own country here such as standard development and provision of testing equipment to the bureau of standards of the both countries,” he said.

“Also to enhance women trade program to promote inclusivity and equality between women and men, that means small business like those who are selling banners or vegetable will empower them and make life easy for them to cross the border,” Ayok added.

He further said the agreement aimed at sharing each other’s existing border control infrastructure and facilitates thereby enabling border control officers of each partner state to perform statutory border control outside their national territory.

The deal was witnessed by officials from both ministries of foreign affairs was facilitated by the Ugandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the support from Trademark East Africa.