Uganda, South Sudan Launch Border Talks to Boost Trade, Security Cooperation

What the report says

Nile Post reported that Uganda and South Sudan opened a two-day high-level joint border meeting in Arua to address trade, security, migration and border management issues. The talks bring together senior officials, security agencies, local leaders and private sector representatives from both countries, with organization led by Uganda’s Embassy in Juba alongside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other government bodies.

According to the report, the meeting is intended to put into practice a July 2025 directive by Presidents Yoweri Museveni and Salva Kiir Mayardit for regular joint border engagements. Uganda’s ambassador to South Sudan, Brig. Gen. Ronnie Balya, set out priorities including better market access, smoother customs and revenue processes, joint patrols and intelligence sharing, and stronger coordination on migration, health surveillance and refugee matters. South Sudan’s delegation leader, Central Equatoria Governor Anthony Emmanuel Adil, called for faster implementation of the presidential directives and continued engagement at local and national levels.

Officials are expected to draft resolutions and a roadmap to reduce delays at crossing points, support the Central and West Nile trade corridors, address tariff and non-tariff barriers, and harmonize customs and immigration procedures with regional and bilateral frameworks. Nile Post said a joint technical committee working on border demarcation is expected to complete its work by 2027, though funding gaps have slowed progress.

The talks matter because South Sudan is a major market for Ugandan exports, including manufactured goods, food products and construction materials. Nile Post cited heavy cargo movement through Elegu-Nimule and Oraba-Kaya and said border communities depend on that trade. The meeting also follows recurring insecurity, transporter attacks and border incidents that have strained relations despite close economic ties.