The Commissioner for Morobo County in South Sudan’s Central Equatoria State and his delegation joined counterparts from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda on Thursday for a visit to Salia Musala in Uganda’s Koboko District, aimed at strengthening cross-border relations among the three countries.
Morobo County Commissioner Charles Data Bullen praised the event, calling it a milestone in fostering development and ensuring peaceful borders.
“We are all the same. The DRC has vast land, South Sudan is second, and Uganda is the smallest. But in terms of development, the smallest is more advanced than the rest. We need to learn from the ‘small child’ so that we all benefit and become like Uganda,” he said.
The Commissioner stressed the importance of continuous dialogue between the three nations to strengthen ties.
“Let us keep visiting each other so that we maintain peace and resolve any issues together,” he added.
Chukia David Likambo, the Kakwa chief of the Kumuro border region in the DRC, also welcomed the visit, urging authorities in all three countries to promote unity and cooperation to reduce border conflicts.
“We are all Kakwa—in South Sudan, Congo, and Uganda. We must maintain peace because we do business together,” he said.
Patrick Bongo, a representative of Cities Alliance, explained that the project, funded by the European Union (EU), aims to resolve border disputes. He noted that the meeting’s outcomes had been documented for further review by the EU.
“The EU delegation requested officials from South Sudan and the DRC to attend this meeting and discuss border-related issues. Everything shared here has been recorded for scrutiny, and we hope positive results will follow,” he said.
Koboko District has recently seen an influx of migrants from both the DRC and Morobo County in South Sudan.