By Bida Elly David
Presidency in a meeting chaired by President Salva Kiir Mayardit at State house J1 Friday evening has resolved the deployment of immediate forces to quell the ongoing conflict between South Sudan and Kenya communities at the Nadapal border.
This development came during a meeting a few days after cross-border clashes eruption between the Toposa youth from South Sudan and Turkana youth of Kenya at Nadapal border triggered by grazing rights.
In a statement on the official Presidential Facebook page, President Salva Kiir met with his deputies over a range of issues but top on the agenda was the Nadapal border dispute where the presidency resolved that the border saga be given due attention to avoid further destruction.
They noted that the visit of Pope Francis to the Country signified peace, forgiveness and reconciliation amongst the people of South Sudan thus pointing guns against humans is a clear indication of disrespecting the supernatural powers of the divine being (God).
The Presidency condemned the Subnational violence in most parts of the Country, especially the Kajo-Keji incident and repeated the order for the cattle keepers to return back their cattle to their places of origin.
Furthermore, the presidency emphasized the continuous deployment of police in the area and taking security measures against enemies of progress in the County.
“The Presidency resolved to redeploy Necessary Unified Forces to South Sudan People’s Defence Force, SSPDF. The Presidency resolved to settle the border dispute between South Sudan and Kenya by sending a delegation headed by an Envoy to solve the border issue between the two countries”.
The Presidency also discussed cleaning of the White Nile River, starting from Bentiu to Lake No and Bentiu to Nam River in Bahr El Ghazal,” one of the resolutions read.
The Presidency further also directed the survey of Ramciel city and also tasked the Ministry of Finance to allocate more funds for the construction of the road that connects South Sudan to Ethiopia in order to ease the mobility of people and services.
The meeting was chaired by President Kiir and attended by the First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar, the Vice President of the Infrastructure Cluster, Taban Deng Gai, Vice President of the Service Cluster, Hussein Abdelbagi Akol and the Vice President of the Gender and Youth Cluster Rebecca Nyandeng De Mabior and Presidential Advisor on National Security Affairs, Hon. Tut Gatluack Manime, Presidential Envoy on Special Program, Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel.
Early this week, Fighting vented between the Toposa of South Sudan and Turkana of Kenya in Eastern Equatoria State over the common border between the two countries.
The clashes transpired after the Turkana community allegedly attacked the Toposa in Nadapal and claimed that Toposa pastoralists encroached into their territory.
Last week, hundreds of Kapoeta East County residents peacefully demonstrated after Kenya deployed soldiers on South Sudanese territory claiming that the border between the two countries is in the Nakodok area of Kapoeta East County.
Demonstrators were later supported by some state parliamentarians who said that the national government’s silence on the matter disguised that South Sudanese territory had been relinquished or sold to Kenya.