By Lodu William Odiya
A high-level committee for the Great Lakes Region visited Kajo-Keji to investigate the incursion by the Uganda Peoples Defense Forces (UPDF) in Nyainga-Muda village of Bori Boma of Kangapo2 Payam.
Speaking to the media yesterday, Col. Mulimba Kmulimpa who is the Team leader said their mission was not to fault find blame between the two countries but to find a collective solution to the problems.
“Your Hon. Commissioner, sir, the team is here not to fault finding or to blame one another, but to hear from both sides and find a collective solution to the problem” he said
He emphasized that they started their mission last week on Monday, where they visited the military command in Kampala then proceeded to Juba.
“We also met with the governor of Equatorial State, Central Equatorial State. Then yesterday, on Saturday, we were in Yumbe district. We met with the leadership in Yumbe, and we proceeded to the disputed areas” he stressed.
Col. Mulimba underscored they could be able to submit a report to the higher authorities after their mission.
“As you may be aware, Your Hon. Commissioner, there are military and diplomatic efforts to resolve these issues. So, our aim here is to enhance the process so that a solution is found” he highlighted.
Tensions along the contested border between South Sudan and Uganda escalated on July 28, 2025, when forces from both countries reportedly engaged in armed confrontations near Kajo- Keji County (Central Equatoria State).
It persisted for years, rooted in contested border demarcations in Magwi and Kajo- Keji counties, with prior deadly incidents dating back to 2020 and 2024.
Kajo-Keji commissioner, Wani Jackson Mule during the high-level committee meeting said that “if Ugandan had maintained the British colonial boarder line, there would have been nothing like the dispute.
“If Ugandan had maintained the British colonial line, this crisis would have not been there, but you changed it” he said.
“The line Uganda is insisting on is a differently line, they wanted all these including the one for British. They now fixed their red lined at the border. It seems that South Sudan is now Militarily weak” Jackson said.
He revealed that on 17th November 2023, Uganda launched their satellite and fixed the line into the system.
“Today, if you move to the border, you will find that redline. Taking all these areas of South Sudan. That became the problem of fighting” he highlighted.
In early March 2025, Uganda deployed special forces to help secure South Sudan amid internal unrest involving President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar. That deployment heightened the potential for friction along poorly defined frontiers.
Early this month, the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) and the South Sudan Peoples’ Defence Forces (SSPDF) have reaffirmed their commitment to working together in addressing recent security incidents along the shared border.
This was during a high-level meeting held at the Defence and Intelligence headquarters in Mbuya, co-chaired by the UPDF Commander Land Force, Lt Gen Kayanja Muhanga, and the SSPDF Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Dau Aturjong Nyuol.