By Spy Uganda
South Sudan has put on hold a road construction taking place in Uganda’s northern district of Lamwo, a local official said.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Magwi County Commissioner Otto Davis Remson said the road constructors from neighbouring Uganda encroached on South Sudan territory during the construction works.
He further said authorities in Lamwo district of Uganda opened up a new road through Ngom Oromo and entered Pogee heading to Parajok area in Magwi County of South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria State.
“The issue of the road being constructed by Ugandans towards our area started last week. First, they started and did not ask me, they did not come to me, they did not even write to me about the issue,” David said.
He added,” the State government did not know what was happening. So, what I did, I went there to the side of Pogee and found them opening the road. I asked them why they were opening the road, they said this road is being opened to help and I told them, you should have asked the owner of the land before helping. So this is what we discussed with them and I stopped them.”
According to the commissioner, state authorities have been informed about what happened along the common border with Uganda to refer the matter to the national government in Juba.
South Sudan has repeatedly accused Uganda of trespassing into its territory.
In August 2015, Magwi County officials said 150 families left their homes in fear after Ugandan forces entered Pogee during a land dispute.
In December 2015, South Sudan and Uganda signed a memorandum of understanding to ease border tensions and allow the demarcation of the disputed approximately 470 kilometers long boundary, but little progress has been made.
In May 2018, armed South Sudanese soldiers halted a road construction taking place in Uganda’s northern district of Lamwo.
