‘Leave Nadapal Border issue to president Kiir’ – Lobong urges youth

The governor of Eastern Equatoria State, Louis Lobong Lojore has called on the Kapoeta East communities specially the youth at the Kenyan border to withdraw from Nadapal border fighting and allow the government play it role.

On 31st Jan, 2023, three pick-ups full of Kenyan Defense forces reportedly encroached into South Sudan through Nakodo border in Kapoeta East. Youth and community members staged a peaceful protest calling for government intervention on the encroachment.

Commissioner Abdallah Lokeno joined the community and the youth in calling on the state and national government.

However, the state Governor in a meeting with community on 4th February said the borders’ issues are solemnly the responsibility of the national government and hence the state and the community cannot do anything.

“I want to tell you that the issue of the border is the work of Juba it is the work of President Salva Kiir Mayardit all this borders are the one letting him to be the president and all the maps of south sudan are in his office,” Lobong told the youth.

Lobong call for calm among the border communities as the government and the committee on international borders take necessary steps and engage with the Kenyan government in regard to encroachment.

“I want to tell you that all of us are not happy with the statement said on Nadapal by the minister and Governor of Kenya. When they say Nadapal has been put as their county or what, we don’t agree but let us leave it until one day it will be known where the border is,” said Lobong

Border residents attributes the encroachment to slow construction of the high way joining the two countries. The slow pace of the construction is on the South Sudan site as Kenya is left with 11 kilometers to complete the construction of its road to South Sudan border.

The residents said the border is not busy like other borders due to lack of a functional highway and this gives opportunity to encroachers.

Nadapal in Kapoeta East fall under the Ilemi Triangle – a disputed territory, which is claimed by South Sudan, Kenya, and Ethiopia. Following numerous efforts to demarcate the area over the last 100 years, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Sudan have all made conflicting de jure and de facto claims.