The South Sudan Muslim leaders and Uganda’s counterparts have agreed to establish ties to foster sustainable peace in the two countries.

The group said improving bilateral relations between South Sudanese and Ugandan Muslim populations will pave the road for long-term peace in the two sisterly countries, adding that if one is at war, the other cannot advance.

Sheikh Shaban Ramadan, the leader of the Uganda Muslim Council, said in a statement to the media in Juba on Wednesday that Ugandan Muslims want to see and encourage long-term peace in South Sudan.

He made the statement after they met with the Vice President for Economic Clusters, Dr James Wani Igga, on Wednesday in Juba.

According to the head of the delegation, the visit was primarily intended to reinforce bonds as members of the same faith who share a common border.

“We believe and feel that South Sudan is a part of us, just as Uganda is a part of the country. As a result, we wish to deepen collaboration between the Islamic councils of the two sisterly countries while also attempting to establish the South Sudanese inter-religious council.

“We believe South Sudan has something akin to Uganda’s Inter-Religious Council of Uganda, which brings together all faith leaders and forms a presidency council to look into the shared issues of their followers,” Sheikh Ramadan stressed.

He said his team met with the secretary-general of the South Sudan Islamic Council and that they agreed to work together.

Sheikh Ramadan extended an invitation to the South Sudan Islamic team to visit Uganda and observe their operations.

He said Islam is a religion of peace, and that is why his group wants to demonstrate this in their daily lives.

“So, we visited vice president, Dr. James Wani Igga, today and told him that we, as Muslims, are for peace.”

“As a result, we are at peace with ourselves as believers in Uganda. We live in harmony with various believers, including Christians, Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox, and we hope that this will continue here,” said Ramadan.

Ugandan Muslims, he said, want their brothers and sisters to live in peace and obey the laws of their government.

He added that if the two work together, the situation will normalise and they will witness a country’s physical progress.

Ramadan said the collaboration in the Islamic faith between the peoples of South Sudan and Uganda should have to continue.