Authorities in Morobo County, Central Equatoria state, said they held a cross-border meeting with administrators from the Aru region of the Democratic Republic of Congo at the Kengezi border post near Bazillion, agreeing to restore calm after weeks of tension.
The engagement on Wednesday aimed to de-escalate tensions and strengthen cooperation between the two neighboring regions.
The meeting followed heightened tensions over the past five weeks between the Morobo County administration and neighboring Congolese authorities, stemming from incidents of unauthorized border crossings and the detention of combatants on both sides.
Speaking during the meeting, Morobo County Commissioner Charles Data emphasized the need for cooperation and free movement of people to strengthen bilateral relations between the two regions.
“I want to say, whatever happened in the past, let’s leave it behind. The governor also sent me and said he does not want bad relations. Let us stay together,” Data said. “The imperialists divided us so that we hate each other. If you go to America today, people are moving freely, but here, if you want to cross, they ask for immigration documents.”
He added that unity would allow people to move freely without fear, similar to relations with Uganda. Data also said Morobo authorities were handing over two Congolese combatants detained in the county and urged their counterparts to ask them how they were treated.
Mr. David Tsukia, a Kakwa chief in the DRC, described the meeting as a historic step toward resolving long-standing challenges in the region.
“Our aim is to arrange a meeting between the two regions this year in Gumuro where people of Morobo can join,” Tsukia said. He complained that some Congolese nationals were arrested on public roads rather than inside South Sudanese territory, a move he said had angered the community. “Today, if there is anything that made them arrest our soldiers, we can sit here and talk about it and find solutions.”
Meanwhile, Richard Mbambi, the administrator of Aru in the Congo, said dialogue was the best way to resolve disputes and stressed the importance of peaceful coexistence.
“Every day, if there is a problem, let us dialogue because we are brothers,” Mbambi said. “There is nothing that can separate the Kakwa of Morobo and that of Congo. Unity and love should be between them forever. Without peaceful coexistence, it’s not right.”
At the end of the meeting, both sides exchanged detained nationals and seized weapons. Those exchanged had been arrested and held in Morobo and Aru in recent weeks.