Yumbe, Uganda: The Aringa Kingdom has called for urgent cross-border dialogue and restorative justice measures to address escalating cattle raids and insecurity along the Uganda–South Sudan border.
The kingdom is pushing for compensation of affected herders and the convening of an inter-boundary community dialogue involving the Aringa, Kuku, and Pojulu communities to foster lasting peace.
The call follows a high-level community security sensitization meeting held at Kilaji Primary School in Yumbe District, which brought together security officials, cultural leaders, and residents from Kilaji and neighboring Mijikita parishes.
Aringa Kingdom Prime Minister Lemeriga Fadhil said the initiative is aimed at advancing conflict prevention and community-led peacebuilding.
He noted that recurring cattle raids, often carried out by armed groups from across the border, have fueled cycles of retaliation, displacement, and mistrust among communities.
During the engagement, district security leaders outlined immediate measures to curb the raids, including mandatory communal cattle kraaling under 24/7 protection and strengthening local intelligence networks.
Local leaders were tasked with identifying trusted community members to support security operations, while a warning was issued against collaboration with raiders.
Authorities emphasized that failure to comply with these measures would attract strict action.
While acknowledging the need for heightened security, the Kingdom stressed that sustainable peace requires deeper intervention.
Leaders are demanding compensation for families that have lost livestock and clearer border management to prevent further incursions.
Most critically, the Kingdom is advocating for a community-led dialogue involving cross-border ethnic groups to rebuild trust and address longstanding grievances.
The proposed dialogue is expected to serve as a platform for reconciliation, cultural cooperation, and peaceful coexistence.
The Aringa people, predominantly based in Yumbe District, share longstanding cultural and kinship ties with communities in South Sudan.
However, porous borders and armed cattle rustling have increasingly strained these relationships, undermining both security and livelihoods.
Leaders say resolving the crisis requires both immediate security responses and long-term peacebuilding strategies anchored in dialogue.
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