Activist urges solving border dispute with neighboring Kenya
The transitional government has been advised to form ad-hoc committee to look into the border dispute with neighboring Kenya.
Ter Manyang Gatwech, the Executive Director for Centre for Peace and Advocacy (CPA) on Sunday said the government needs to address the dispute with Kenya along Eastern Equatoria State’s Kapoeta East borderline.
“I urge the whole revitalized transitional government of national Unity (RTGONU) headed by President Salva Kiir to form the committee to look into border dispute, let our President take this issue very seriously,” said Gatwech in an interview with The Juba Echo in Juba.
This followed last week’s protest by the civil population in Kapoeta East County over alleged encroachment into Nadapal and Nakodok areas of Eastern Equatoria State by the Kenyan Defense Forces (KDF).
On February 2nd, a section of lawmakers in the Eastern Equatoria State parliament backed the protest by locals, citing the silence of the national government over the matter.
South Sudan and Kenya have for years been disputing over the Illemi triangle.
“We the people of Kapoeta East, do hereby express our agony by writing this letter following the continuous encroachment on our land by the Kenyan government,” said a statement issued by the community Kapoeta East County.
“We as the community of Kapoeta East County recommend revocation of the 2009 MoU that granted Kenya mandate to establish a temporary security checkpoint in Nadapal. We recommend to the government to financially support joint border committee in order to implement their tasks,” it added.
