By Theophilous Ochang

The Minister of Local Government and Law Enforcement Agencies in Eastern Equatoria state, Peter Lokeng Lotone has confirmed the deployment of SSPDF in the Tseretenya area along the border of Ikotos of South Sudan and Lamwo District of Uganda. 

He said the situation along the Tserentenya of Ikotos County and the neighboring Uganda has returned to normal after the deployment of SSPDF which began last December.

In an interview with The City Review on Wednesday, Lotone said the forces were deployed to protect the lives and properties of the people along the borders.

 “Our forces are in Tseretenya but that’s the area of South Sudan. Our forces are there. I think it was before Christmas, the reason for putting them there was because of these wrong raiders who are always disturbing the border’s people. They want us to deploy the forces to protect lives and their properties.”

Also, he said the deployment aimed to provide an enabling environment for the civilians who are peasants as farming season approaches

“Our civilians, this is the time of cultivation they have to cultivate peacefully without some criminals disturbing them along that area,” Lotone said.

However, the minister did not disclose how many soldiers were deployed to the area.

The security situation along the Tseretenya in Ikotos County of Eastern Equatoria State and Lamwo District was tense last year after an unspecified number of cattle were raided by the Ugandan People’s Defence Forces.

This prompted the government in Eastern Equatoria State to demand the immediate return of the raided cattle but the Ugandan government also told the South Sudan government to apologize before returning the cattle claiming it was the animals that encroached on their territory.