Uganda and South Sudan have reaffirmed their commitment to regional cooperation, trade, and peace following a series of diplomatic engagements in Kampala and Entebbe.
Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi, Uganda’s Minister of State for Youth and Children Affairs, met with Vice President Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel of South Sudan. Dr. Bol is in Uganda on the invitation of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to strengthen bilateral ties.
Barugahara congratulated the Vice President on his appointment and commended President Salva Kiir for placing trust in him. “I thank President Kiir for the confidence he has placed in you, and we look forward to stronger cooperation between our two nations,” Barugahara said.
Dr. Bol pledged continued support for Ugandan businesses operating in South Sudan. He assured that trade operations would remain stable and uninterrupted, signaling renewed economic cooperation between the two countries.
Later, Barugahara and John Mulimba, Minister of State for Regional Cooperation, accompanied Vice President Bol to a meeting with President Museveni at State House Entebbe. The leaders discussed matters of strategic security and regional integration.
“We commend our leaders for strengthening the special bond between our nations,” Barugahara said in a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter). “Long live Uganda, long live HE. @KagutaMuseveni, long live HE. @benbolmel, long live Gen. @mkainerugaba. Long live South Sudan, long live Uganda.”
Dr. Bol's visit coincided with the 12th High-Level Meeting of the Regional Oversight Mechanism (ROM) of the Peace, Security, and Cooperation (PSC) Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes region.
The summit, chaired by President Museveni in Entebbe, brought together Heads of State and Government from 13 signatory countries, alongside representatives from the African Union, International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), the United Nations, and other international partners.
The leaders focused on revitalizing peace efforts in the DRC and reaffirmed their commitment to sustainable security and development in the region.
Barugahara hailed the summit and Vice President Bol’s visit as a new chapter in East African diplomacy. “This is a new era of cooperation,” he said, emphasizing the importance of youth, trade, and peace in shaping the region’s future.
