KAMPALA: The Committee on East African Community (EAC) Affairs has called for the establishment and deployment of a professional joint force at the entry points of all partner states to address ongoing border conflicts and security concerns.
Chaired by Hon. James Nsaba Buturo, the Committee expressed concern that, despite the existence of EAC protocols on peace and security, member states continue to face civil unrest and cross-border tensions.
“The Protocol emphasizes the promotion of peace, security, stability, and good neighborliness within the Community. However, tangible progress remains limited, as evidenced by persistent insecurity among member states,” Hon. Buturo said.
He was presenting the Committee Report on the 2025/2026 Budget Framework Paper for the Ministry of East African Community Affairs on Thursday, 10 April 2025, during a plenary sitting chaired by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa.
Hon. Buturo pointed out that ongoing political instability and civil wars in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Sudan, and Somalia have severely hampered economic development and regional integration.
In Uganda, he noted, cross-border traders continue to bear the brunt of regional instability, with many losing their lives or property.
“Ugandan traders face persistent hostility at borders and within member states. They are persecuted, some killed, and their businesses sabotaged—particularly in Rwanda, the DRC, and South Sudan,” he stated.
He warned that such incidents undermine the spirit of regional integration and proposed the deployment of joint patrol teams along key trade routes to combat smuggling and violence against traders.
Lamwo County MP, Hon. Jallon Okullo, also raised concerns over border encroachments by South Sudanese nationals.
“One day, I took the Committee on EAC Affairs to my constituency. We encountered South Sudanese nationals hunting squirrels and antelopes with spears and guns. Some Committee members were so alarmed they returned to the vehicle,” he recounted.
Hon. Okullo urged the Ministry to install clear signposts marking the boundaries of each partner state to prevent further territorial disputes.
Tororo South County MP, Hon. Fredrick Angura, called on the Ministry to sensitize border authorities, whom he accused of frustrating ordinary cross-border movement.
Responding to the concerns, Minister of State for EAC Affairs, Hon. Ikuya Magode, said the Ministry has ongoing programs aimed at harmonizing border relations.
“Member states must exercise full authority over their territories, and foreign nationals must adhere to the laws of the state in which they operate,” Magode emphasized.
Parliament urged the Ministry to intensify efforts to promote the relevance of the EAC, which MPs said remains underappreciated among citizens.
