Leaders of the Amuru district have called for the formation of a cooperative cross-border security unit to combat crime.
Authorities in Amuru district are calling for the creation of a special security unit to combat cross-border crimes along the Uganda-South Sudan border.
Authorities in Amuru district are calling for the creation of a special security unit to combat cross-border crimes along the Uganda-South Sudan border.
At the Elegu border in Uganda and Nimule, South Sudan, according to Michael Lakony, the Amuru district LC V chairperson, organized crimes like as livestock and motor vehicle thefts, human trafficking and smuggling are on the rise, posing a threat to the cross-border community’s peace.
Six suspected South Sudanese cattle rustlers, for example, took 72 heads of cattle during a night attack on Lorikowor West village in Elegu town council and Lodijokpe in Adjumani district in March 2021, and the animals were never found.
More than 300 livestock have been taken by criminals from Amuru and neighboring Lamwo, Kitgum, and Agago since 2018, impacting post-conflict residents’ livelihoods.
During the same time period, a car was stolen from Elegu in 2020, and authorities were able to retrieve it this year after repeated attempts to apprehend the thieves. Other contraband, such as narcotic substances and small arms, is still being trafficked across the border.
According to District Police Commander-DPC Joseph Nsabimaana, transnational organized crime has emerged as a danger since security agents are unable to pursue individuals once they have escaped into another country.
Nsabimaana further stated that multiple porous border points encourage cross-border crimes, necessitating the creation of a special combined security establishment to quickly trace down the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
The Resident District Commissioner, Geoffrey Oceng Osborn, stated that nine porous border locations have been detected, adding that despite security deployment, facilitating swift security patrol and surveillance remains a difficult challenge.
Ivan Kakaire, the Uganda Revenue Authority’s regional manager in Elegu, explains that while the Uganda Revenue Authority handles exports that enter South Sudan through the gazetted One-Stop Border Point, there are ungazetted porous border sites that criminals exploit.
Most criminals take advantage of the security situation in South Sudan to conduct crimes in Uganda, according to UPDF Fourth Division Commander Brig. Gen. Bonny Bamwesike. He asked for regular and increased border community sensitization in order to detect and report crimes to authorities.
Captain Jamel Majok of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces – SSPDF Liaison Officer praised the gesture, which will enable the two East African countries to work closely together to preserve citizens’ peace and security.
While Interpol exists to respond to global crimes, the bureaucratic processes involved are hindered, which criminals use to dodge prosecution, according to the authorities.