Arua City, Uganda: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Uganda Country Office and regional partners have launched a Standing Cross Border Committee (CBC) aimed at strengthening cooperation, stability and resilience along the Uganda–Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) frontier.
The consultative meeting, held at White Castle Hotel in Arua City on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, brought together government officials, local leaders and cultural institutions from Uganda’s West Nile region to formalise the new coordination mechanism.
The Cross Border Committee will operate under defined Terms of Reference (TOR) with a mandate centred on conflict prevention, management and resolution among border communities.
Key focus areas include land disputes and territorial delimitation, inter-communal tensions, safe cross-border mobility and community-level dialogue mechanisms
Officials emphasised that the committee will function within the legal frameworks of both Uganda and the DRC.
A notable feature of the CBC is the formal inclusion of traditional and cultural institutions in cross-border governance.
Prince Lawrence Opar Angala, Prime Minister of the Alur Kingdom, represented the Alur cultural leadership during deliberations, highlighting the role of customary authorities in maintaining social cohesion across shared ethnic territories divided by international borders.
The Alur community spans both Uganda and eastern DRC, making cultural diplomacy a critical pillar in border stability efforts.
The meeting underscored strong government backing, with the Office of the President represented by Major Martha Asiimwe, Head of the RDCs Secretariat, alongside West Nile Regional Commissioner Gertrude Obedi, the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development represented by Commissioner for Youth & Children’s Affairs Fred Ngabirano, and Resident District Commissioners and Local Council V Chairpersons from border districts attended, including Robert Abak (Nebbi), James Oruna Oyulu (Zombo), Emmanuel Orombi (Nebbi) and Commissioner Betty Otekat Akello (Arua City).
The initiative aligns with broader regional stabilisation programmes supported by international partners, including the European Union, aimed at reducing tensions, strengthening local governance structures and promoting resilient livelihoods in the Uganda–DRC corridor.
By integrating state institutions, district leadership and traditional authorities, the Cross Border Committee is expected to serve as a sustainable platform for dialogue and collaborative problem-solving in one of East Africa’s most sensitive transboundary zones.
If you would like your article/opinion to be published on Uganda’s most authoritative news platform, send your submission on: [email protected]. You can also follow DailyExpress on WhatsApp and on Twitter (X) for realtime updates.
