A Kenyan government committee comprising 14 officials has arrived in South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria State to seek solutions to the looming Nadapal crisis.
In a meeting between the Eastern Equatoria State cabinet and Kenyan delegates at the state palace on Wednesday, the two governments resolved to restore peace and unity among neighbouring communities of Turkana and Toposa.
Last year, Eastern Equatoria State Government accused the Kenyan government of border encroachment that later resulted in conflict between the neighbouring Turkana of Kenya and Toposa of South Sudan.
Kenyan delegates headed by Special Advisor on Infrastructure for Northern Kenyan on Tuesday arrived in Torit together with 14 other key Kenyan government officials for a fact-finding mission on the border dispute.
Kenyan delegates set the tone for the meeting by declaring that ‘Nadapal is a temporary border between South Sudan and Kenya’ and the original border was yet to be demarcated by the joint border committee.
John Manyese, a special advisor of Infrastructure for Northern Kenya, said that the two countries had earlier agreed to deploy forces along the Nadapal border to provide security and deter the continuous border tension.
“The issue of the Nadapal border that is meant to be a temporary border point awaiting the conclusion of the demarcation exercise. This is a place where we say [citizens on both sides] stop to allow the authorities to manage activities of the border and support the security apparatus, security along the border, support both our communities. On this side, we have SPLA Police; on the other side, we have KDF [Kenya Defense Forces], the Kenyan Police. Their role is to maintain order on a temporary basis until we determine this border,” he said.
Advisor Manyese said the conflict along the Nadapal border had been triggered by South Sudan and Kenya politicians.
He said the Kenyan government will convene a meeting this month with South Sudan leaders aimed at discussing issues of border.
“It has been agreed that there has been a lot of incitement from politicians both in Kenya and South Sudan. We have now decided to get a conference in place before the 20th of June to bring all the leaders and the key authorities of Eastern Equatoria State and Turkana to come face to face and discuss this problem. We have been lacking communication, we have been acting on the point of little knowledge, propaganda people talking against each other now we want to get back our people together so these are the synergies we are looking for, and military attaches are now going to be posted in Kapoeta and Kenya,” he explained.
Patrick Oting Cyprian, Eastern Equatoria State Minister of Information and Communication, has agreed that politicians are instigators of conflict along the border.
He, however, said Eastern Equatoria State welcomes Kenya’s call for dialogue to realise peaceful co-existence between the neighbouring communities.
“In the border area, we have the two communities of Toposas and Turkanas fighting, each raiding live stocks here, and there, yes we know that there have been issues along the border and this is the reason that we are very privilege to accept these people all heartedly in our state because we need peace so the issue is to bring the two communities and even that border should be opened so that the trucks can be able to move from Kenya using our borders,” he said.
“And we know that if the border is open is going to benefit the people of this state and also the politicians of the other side of Kenya when something they go to the air, they start airing things negatively,” Oting added.
Governor Louis Lobong Lojore of Eastern Equatoria State has assured the Kenyan delegates that his government would improve the quality of security across the state.
He affirmed the commitment of the government to work jointly with their Kenyan government counterparts in addressing border tensions, which he says have paralyzed peaceful coexistence along the border.
“Security-wise, the state is calm and stable even before the signing of the revitalised peace agreement. This State was not so much affected by the conflict. Most of our people that have run away during the time of war are coming back home. It is also home for many people from different countries, especially East Africa, so I want to welcome you once again, and I want you to feel at home,” he concludes.