By Bida Elly David
Elegu, the boarder points that links South Sudan to Uganda has been reopened after a brief closure due to the escalated insecurity between cattle herders and residents of Mugali some days ago.
The border point was tentatively closed on Thursday following the killing of two police officers by a group of cattle herders, as they carried out security operations in revenge of those killed during an attack at a cattle camp.
Sergeant Major, Odongi Charles Juma and warrant officer, Joseph Taban fell into an untimely ambush while patrolling around the border town.
Speaking to No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper, Robert Pitiya, the chairperson of Central Equatoria State Chamber of Commerce said that they had predicted an economic recession through rise of commodity prices in the market since trucks would be detained until the security situation calmed down.
“As business people, we have looked at the tentative closure of the border as a negative impact to businesses since trucks would have been detained at the border causing no entry of goods to Juba and other places. With this, starvation will kick off and prices of commodities would rise with immediate effect,” he said.
Pitiya commended the reopening of the border to allow commodities to freely move to Juba and other places as a mechanism to reduce inflation.
In his Part, Major David Kasmiro, the head of Nimule Police stated that the situation in the town has relatively become calm and people have started running their enterprises as usual.
“As per the current situation, we are fine, nothing bad has happened this morning, the situation has relatively become normal. The border is re-opened and people are moving here and there without fear the way it used to be,” Kasmiro said.
Major David Kasmiro underscored that the death of the two policemen shook Nimule as fear arose among the residents and their livelihoods.
“Killing of the Police officers came after the attack on the cattle camps in Mugali which left scores dead and several others injured,” David said.
Major Kasmiro assured the residents of Mugali, Nimule and Elegu about the normality of the situation as police take control and the security calmed.